Working with patients who consult search engines first
UCI Health neurosurgeon seeks to understand, provide context
IN THE NEWS: Many people have turned to the internet at the first sign of a strange new ache. In fact, the National Center for Health Statistics reported in October 2023 that nearly 60% of adults had gone online for health information.
UCI Health neurosurgeon Dr. Hansen Bow recently shared with Becker’s Spine Review how he approaches patients who have done some initial research, often with mixed results.
“I believe it is important to respectfully ask the patient which online resources contributed to their opinion. Sometimes the patient’s signs, symptoms or diagnostic studies do not match with the situation described online.”
Bow says he also discusses popular social media posts with patients whose expectations may be based on them.
“Viral posts on social media may highlight unusual treatments or outcomes. As a medical professional, I may be able to provide context to these posts and describe treatments and outcomes that are more mainstream and typical.”
Bow’s clinical interests include cancers of the spine, minimally invasive spine surgery, degenerative back and neck disorders and general neurosurgery. His research interests are focused on improving neurosurgical operations. Using his engineering background, he has developed 3D-printed anatomical models for surgical planning and patient education. He is the author of multiple published articles on simulators for surgical education.
Bow, who is fluent in Mandarin, sees patients at UCI Health — Orange and UCI Health — Irvine.
About UCI Health
UCI Health is one of California’s largest academic health systems and the clinical enterprise of the University of California, Irvine. Established on July 1, 1976, UCI Health has grown into a 1,461-bed health system that includes UCI Health — Orange, UCI Health — Irvine, four Community Network hospitals and a growing network of ambulatory care centers across Orange and Los Angeles counties. As Orange County’s only academic health systems, UCI Health is home to the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center based in the county, the region’s only American College of Surgeons-verified Level I adult and Level II pediatric trauma center, American College of Emergency Physicians Gold Level 1 Geriatric Emergency Department and a nationally recognized regional burn center verified by the American Burn Association. Powered by UC Irvine, UCI Health serves 5.6 million people across Orange County, western Riverside County and southeast Los Angeles County through excellence in patient care, research and medical education. Follow UCI Health on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X.