We’re all Doctors Now (Sort of)
When it comes to seeing my doctor, the internet can be both a blessing and a curse. I tend to avoid going to the doctor for something I perceive as a slight pain, or minor discomfort. Really, it’s a bad, bad practice, and I know I should be better about going to my doctor, but sometimes I don’t feel like I can make the time for him (my son or my wife is a different story entirely…I usually insist they go to the doctor at a sneeze, but I digress). On the other hand, I do have a tendency to self-diagnose when I think the problem isn’t that serious.
There are a plethora of resources available now on the internet, WebMD one of the first that comes to mind, that allow us to read up on what could possibly ail us. Personally, I see it as a good form of triage and a way to get a virtual “second opinion” without having to go see anyone other than your primary care physician. This is also particularly helpful to those who might want a little more anonymity in their diagnosis, or have more than a few minutes to read up on their symptoms and the possible ailments associated with them.
The winter 2009 edition of Tufts Magazine explores this self-diagnosis through the internet a little more closely in their “Strong People” section. Lisa Neal Gualtieri authors “Diagnosis Surfing,” an exploration into instances where the internet helped people diagnose diseases that their doctors missed. For instance, in one case a child who was up all night coughing would seem fine when he arrived at the doctor’s office for a check-up. Through some diligent research on the internet, his mother concluded that her son was suffering from asthma, which she later confirmed with a test at her doctor’s office. In another instance, a person suffering from a cold used an online symptom checker when his leg began to swell up and hurt. It advised that he get immediate medical attention and when he did, he found out he was suffering with cellulitis, an infection that can rapidly become life-threatening if left untreated.
Of course, you should approach medical advice, as with all news published on the internet, with a bit of caution. Blogs like this one or any site that provides medical advice is in no way a substitute for a visit to your doctor — instead it should augment that experience. Gualtieri’s advice is as follows:
- If something looks too good to be true, it probably is. If miracle cures existed, everyone would know about them, including your doctor. Make sure the information you read is from a reliable source, such as the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Mayo Clinic, or the Alzheimer’s Association. The HONcode (www.hon.ch) is the only seal indicating that a health site meets a standard of conduct, but it is not widely used.
- Information should be current. Advances in medical science are frequent.
- A nice-looking website is not necessarily one with high-quality information. Be wary of sites with a hidden or not-so-hidden agenda, such as some of those sponsored by pharmaceutical firms or makers of herbal supplements.
- Your peers in online health communities are not doctors. Within these forums, people often offer advice based on their experiences. But you have to consider how seriously to take some of what you read. Members’ profiles might help. For example, in Weight Watchers’ thriving communities, the starting, current, and goal weight for a given member will tell you if he or she has successfully lost weight.(1)
Gualtieri provides some sound advice when performing self-diagnosis over the internet. Given the current state of health care, and the less personal experience people are having with their doctors these days, it makes sense to utilize this tool in order to determine if the time spent waiting at the doctor’s office makes sense if all you have is a little head cold. As I’ve said before, though, it also always makes sense to listen to what your body is telling you. By the time you exit college, you should be able to distinguish between an insignificant cold and something more serious. The internet should be used as a tool to hone that skill, and not to replace the people who could potentially help the most.
What do you think?
(1) See “Diagnosis Surfing: How to use online medical resources wisely,” Lisa neal Gualtieri, Tufts Magazine, Winter 2009, p. 39 (also online here)
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