The social networking pioneer Dan Hoch (who co-founded the famous BrainTalk Communities site) posted a provocative commentary on e-patients.net today titled “Information Overload: Problem or Not?”

Hoch notes that the information overload across industries has given rise to the Information Overload Research Group, which is dedicated to “reducing information pollution.” I agree with Hoch that the Internet’s information democratization has been an important driving force behind what he terms the “e-patients movement.” No doubt that is a critically important contribution.

I would never suggest that consumers should be prevented from unfiltered information. But availability of all information on a topic does not equate with real access to meaningful, usable information for everybody. For some people, OD’ing on information may not be possible but many people would like to get guidance from other sources–that could be their personal physician, another health care professional, a community health worker, or another person who shares the condition.

As stated on this blog earlier in the week, Susannah Fox noted that Pew Internet Project data demonstrate that 80% of Internet health information seekers turned to a professional in a time of crisis, and that this figure is much higher than any other information that Pew studies.

Those of us who advocate for information therapy (Ix) never suggest that information should be available “by prescription only.” Information prescriptions are simply another tool, designed to help people navigate the vast information that exists in cyberspace and elsewhere.