Pathology imaging on the Web - Extending the role of the pathologist as educator to patients

The increasing role of patients in medical decision making and the growing availability of medical information are changing the physician-patient rela tionship. One aspect of this change is that patients are searching for medi cal information on the Internet and are visiting sites, including pathology sites, that were not originally intended for patient use. This article des cribes evidence for this activity and how the University of Pittsburgh Medi cal Center Department of Pathology has evolved mechanisms to handle patient use of its web site.