The proliferation of knowledge — true or false — on the Internet has allowed savvy consumers to seek out medical information, often times long before they see their physician. That is what one Port Orchard resident did recently when she started feeling really sick. She read through Web sites, trying to figure out if she had a problem appendix or some other issue — it turns out it was her gallbladder.

It’s not uncommon these days for doctors to see patients who are convinced they have one diagnosis or another, and once in a while patients come in with an entire thesis: huge stacks of research they’ve done online for their alleged condition. Sometimes they’re wrong, sometimes they’re right — physicians say the Internet could be a good tool for taking charge of your health, just don’t substitute it for regular checkups and don’t believe everything you read.

“It’s a double-edge sword, there are benefits and drawbacks. Reliable information is good but it’s difficult for patients to evaluate what’s real and based on actual science, what’s opinion that may not be valid, and what’s somebody trying to sell something,” said Dr. William Roes, a veteran family practitioner at Key Medical Center who was selected doctor of the year in 2007 by the Washington Academy of Family Physicians.

Roes said patients who do a lot of research sometimes do come in with good ideas, which could be helpful for the physician because it gives him or her common ground with the patient. But on the other hand, it’s hard for people to be objective about themselves and to understand how specific information applies to individual cases.

” certainly doesn’t replace the medical practitioner,” he said. “There needs to be communication with the doctor.”

Self-diagnosing is very common, said Dr. Palencia, a family physician at the Port Orchard Medical Clinic operated by Franciscan Health System. “In general, it’s a good thing, people trying to educate themselves… Often times, the information I give them at the office needs to be supplemented.”

He cautions that the method people use to diagnose themselves is usually not the method used by trained physicians, because a doctor may start with a broad list that is narrowed down based on the process of elimination.

The Internet has helped people who want to be more in charge of their health, doctors say. The relationship between doctor and patient is now more commonly a partnership, not a one-way directive.

Roes said among the great benefits of the Internet, besides being able to refer patients for information to credible Web sites, are resources such as online support groups. These are especially helpful in a rural area like the Key Peninsula, where he has practiced for several decades, because they wouldn’t be able to have a support group close to home. Being able to direct people online for more information is also helpful, but “with the idea we’ll sit down again in a couple of weeks and discuss what we’ve found,” he said.

Some providers are capitalizing on the idea of convenience by using the Internet. MultiCare, for example, has a member site where registered patients can look up lab results, schedule appointments and request prescription renewals. The site uses the tagline “your doctor’s office online.”

Regence BlueShield allows members to post feedback on their doctor visits. The member feedback feature at myRegence.com also allows providers to review and comments and respond to them. Call it the eBay of healthcare.

Lee Tucker Therriault, media relations manager at Regence, said the tool allows for transparency, which is one of the organization’s goals. She said this kind of communication is a trend, and it is impacting the way healthcare is delivered.

“National research has shown that patients want access to information about other patients’ experiences when making health care decisions,” she said. “Feedback from our own members reinforces this research.”

In 2009, Regence plans to add new online features, called Expanded Provider Profile, which will give details on costs and other information within the health care system. The Expanded Provider Profile was added after discussions with providers, to help encourage a true, two-way conversation.

“Ultimately, Regence’s transparency effort is intended to provide our members with access to health information across multiple dimensions of value , allowing members to choose their providers based on the attributes most important to them and to encourage members to become more actively involved in their own health care,” Therriault said.

Other insurance companies have been using similar features around the country, though Regence officials said they’re the first to roll out this kind of feedback feature in Washington State. Patients have also been using online consumer sites to provide ratings. Even hospital ratings are available based on data collected by the federal government, and patients can look up information based on certain government standards. However, some physicians caution that information can be misleading because one hospital, for example, may appear to have better outcomes while in reality it may accept patients with less acute cases.

For physicians, the 24/7, easy availability of information also means patients are more likely to learn about lifestyle changes, and be more proactive when it comes to their health.

“The Internet is just another way to get ideas, it’s a way to brainstorm,” Palencia said. “You no longer have to buy a book or go to the library.”