Study authors also asked the group to choose between letting the health condition get better on its own or calling 911. The participants then had to make two diagnoses, before and after looking up the symptoms online.Ĭases ranged from mild to severe, but described common illnesses, such as viruses, heart attacks, and strokes. Researchers asked 5,000 participants to read a short “case vignette,” describing a number of symptoms and imagine someone close to them was experiencing them. “I wondered, ‘Is this all patients? How much cyberchondria is the Internet creating?” Can everyday people give out sound medical advice? “I have patients all the time, where the only reason they come into my office is because they Googled something and the Internet said they have cancer,” study author Dr. Google’s poor reputation, study authors conclude using the internet to check your symptoms may not be such a bad idea after all. Researchers add anxiety can lead people to think they’re on death’s door when in fact they are perfectly healthy.ĭespite Dr. This increased anxiety brought on by continuously looking up every ailment online has even pushed some medical professionals to urge patients not to look their symptoms up online before seeing them. Researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School admit that “cyberchondria” has made the value of internet medical searches controversial.
Google” to find out what’s wrong with them will likely get the right diagnosis.Īccording to the report, googling symptoms improves peoples’ ability to diagnose their illness without adding additional stress.
Although an internet search may not sound like good medical advice, a new study finds it can actually help. The moment something doesn’t look or feel right, many people won’t run to their doctor, they’ll turn to Google.
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