Are You a “Cyberchondriac”?
A recent study performed by a team at Microsoft concluded that people are searching the internet for health related information and diagnosing themselves; often with inaccurate diagnoses. For example, someone with a headache could think that they have a tumor, after online investigation.
515 employees at Microsoft were surveyed and about one third of them confirmed that they “escalated” their searches after an initial diagnosis to explore more serious, and rare, aliments.
It’s important to remember that online medical advice should not replace the advice of your physician. Experts say if you are concerned about your health, go see a doctor.
To read the story from BBC News, visit here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7758183.stm
Tags: Cyberchondriac, Medical Advice, Microsoft, Online, Self Diagnosing, Web surfing
I feel there is a lot of benefit to researching your own health problems online.
People sometimes experience symptoms that they ignore, such as ringing in the ears or a bit of unusual insomnia. Reading online that this could indicate a different diagnosis may trigger a patient to return to their doctor and fill in details that may have been missed the first time around.
The key, of course, is using the information to better inform the doctor, not to self-diagnose.
Personally, I feel everyone has the responsibility to ensure their own health and this can mean doing a bit of research before visiting a doctor to ensure accurate preparation and descriptions of symptoms. That being said, I also know that I did not go to medical school and my doctor did. Her diagnoses trump my googled ideas every time.