Once diagnosed with an illness, many patients do not have adequate disease management information, according to a MedTera study.

"The fact that more than half of all respondents leave their doctor's office without knowing where to find answers to their important health care questions should cause both doctors and pharmaceutical makers concern," says Dr. Mark Vanelli, of Harvard Medical School. "Our responsibility goes beyond medication to long-term patient health and adherence, and our continued goal is to arm patients with the resources to better manage their condition."

In fact, when asked if they knew where to find online resources for disease management, 81 percent of patients answered not at all. Fifty-four percent said they had no access to medication and side effect information and did not receive the necessary information for disease management after leaving their physician's office.