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In today’s society the walls between patients and practitioners are being broken down. People are now going to their internet first before their doctors to get their advice if not consultation. Doctors are soon becoming their second opinion. This is mainly due to the fact that the internet breaks all boundaries that used to exists between patients and practitioners. Many practitioners fear this change because it increases the chance of misdiagnosis and price competition.

Price visibility in a field that has had a shroud over it, is now being lifted with websites like , that provide average prices for different cosmetic and dental procedures based off of zip codes throughout the whole united states. These price visibility sites will evenly lead to price competition and a decrease in procedure costs for consumers. Other sites like and provide patient communities where people talk in forums and help others with medical questions. No longer do patients always have to go to a doctor and schedule an appointment or wait in the waiting room to find out about their issues.

There are now vast resources and catalogs with pictures of conditions, which people can reference like . They provide a reference point for consumers to learn about their own health and take it into their own hands. With increased use of the internet for a health resource we can only hope that people take it into their own hands and use these valuable resources in front of them. Here are a few links to some good websites that can provide consumers with information.

- website that displays average prices by zip codes of procedures for dental, lasik, plastic surgeries, acupuncture, and massage therapy.
a new social network that allows patients to discuss their conditions with other patients and look at suggested tips that have been voted on by others
a great resource of information that has been a cornerstone of health information for years.
– a great source of information for people to ask and answer others questions