Should You Google Your Symptoms?
A story in the Contra Costa Times posted on August 14, 2011 and written by Laura Casey takes a closer look at the internet, self diagnosis and how technology could change the fabric of medical care.
Many of us with computers in our homes have taken to searching the internet for answers to everything from what to make for dinner tonight to what year George Washington was born, and while the internet is an excellent place to find information it may not be the best place for your health related symptoms.
In fact the internet can offer a wealth of information related to almost any topic including information when you are trying to figure out what the rash on the back of your hand is or how to control/live with a diagnosis of diabetes, but self diagnosis over the World Wide Web can also cause needless anxiety.
Where the medical information comes from can also be a concern. Dr. Steven Kussin, a gastroenterologist and author of "Doctor, Your Patient Will See You Now" (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, $34.95) says patients need to be armed with more than just a random Web page or a WedMd when they see a doctor.
"To be really informed, education comes from medical journals," he says. "When patients come in reading these types of articles about their conditions, they become partners in their care. They enhance your care and enhance you in the eyes of your physician," Kussin says.
Medical experts agree that the internet has made many patients more informed during their doctor’s visits and can even make the patients more a partner to their care then a passenger but it can also cause them to fail to seek needed medical aide due to a wrong self diagnosis which could be dangerous.
One solution to the problem is the trend that many doctors and health care facilities are following of providing their own portals that connect patients and their doctors via the internet. With such a portal via health insurance companies or the doctor’s office the patient can email their doctor and even share pictures of problems such as a rash which will help to know when you should see a doctor and when “wait and see” is the right choice to make.
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