The Negatives and Positives of Online Medical Information



Posted: Friday, September 17, 2010

by Andrew Marhall

The internet is being used by more people than ever, with information available online about almost everything. One subject that is extensively covered over the worldwide web is medical information. Many people choose to look online before deciding whether or not they should consult a doctor. There are both negative and positive aspects to this, both of which are outlined in this article.

One of the main problems of the internet is that not all information is accurate, so many take something as fact, which in fact, it is false. With something such as medical information it can lead to many issues. Some may decide not to go to the doctor based on false information they have found online. They may read about something minor they may have and decide to leave it, even if there is the possibility of something more serious. Some believe what they want to believe, so if they read that their issue may be nothing to worry about, they may convince themselves that everything is fine. However, it can also have the opposite effect, with someone convincing themselves they have a serious problem and therefore worrying unnecessarily. People do tend to exaggerate on blogs and forums, so information picked up via these could lead to a more negative prognosis.

After reading something online, some patients may exaggerate their symptoms in their mind because they believe they have a particular condition. Once they do see a doctors this may then make it difficult for them to get a realistic picture of what is wrong with a patient. Some doctors have complained that patients believe too much of what they read, something that has increased massively with the increasing popularity of the internet. This can make a doctor's job more difficult, and in some cases can make it difficult for them to convince a patient that they actually have nothing to worry about. Some patients see what they read online as being from a higher authority than what they are told by a doctor.

There are some potential positives though, to medical information being freely available online. It can ease a patients minds if they realise they are unlikely to be suffering from something they may have had concerns about. Accurate information can be useful. For trivial things patients being able to carry out research on their own can have its advantages, as they may decide not to go to a doctor, saving them time. This of course, is only a good thing if the information they have read is genuine.

Patients researching online and then visiting a doctor can be helpful, not just to the patient, but to the doctor as well. No doctor can know everything, so it is possible that a patient can find some useful information and then tell the doctor about it. This may be something the doctor does not know about or had not thought about, and therefore could complement the service being offered by the doctor.

You should always go to the doctor if you are concerned about a serious medical issue. Although there is accurate information available online, there is also a lot of false information. You can't be certain of anything by looking online, so seeing an expert can be paramount. Online medical information should be used for information and not for a complete diagnosis.

Andrew Marshall (c)

London Medical Chambers offer Consulting Rooms Harley Street, which can be hired by doctors and other medical practitioners for a variety a purpose.
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