Another kind of home visit

Abstract

Introduction: Internet social networks may cause significant invasion of privacy. However, these networks may also provide medically useful information. Case Description: Ana was19 year old patient and was part of a single parent family. She had a past history of an anxiety disorder since age 14 when her parents divorced. She had a number of emergency room visits after threats of suicide, interpreted as cries for help. In October of 2010, she visited her family doctor saying she was happy and in a relationship for one year. Her mother reported that Ana just thinks about her boyfriend and Facebook. In February of 2011, she was brought to the family doctor because she had been tearful for three months since the end of her relationship with her boyfriend. She had said to her mother that dying is the best solution. When asked about suicidal intention, the patient denied this. Given her background, it was difficult for the family doctor and for her mother to assess the seriousness of her suicidal threat. However, a visit to her Facebook page revealed that she had not posted any new information for three months. This increased suspicion of a major depressive disorder in a patient at risk. A search of her bedroom at home revealed a package containing organophosphates. In subsequent therapy, the patient revealed that she was planning suicide. Comment: Just as traditional home visits may increase our biopsychosocial understanding of patients, similarly, a visit to the internet home page of the patient may be helpful. It may help explore the patients interaction with her environment, provide information relating to her social status, and make inferences about the psychological dimension. This case illustrates how social networks may have a potential for providing additional valuable information about patients.