Online Health Diagnosis
by caitlin Vukman
1. If used in a responsible way it can be very beneficial.
1.1. More information to make informed decisions.
1.2. Save time and money.
1.3. Easy to access
2. Online forums can be beneficial for patients who are already diagnosed but are seeking advice and support and discussion of treatment options.
2.1. Makes patients feel not alone
2.2. Empowers patients to become active in planning their care
3. Search engines do not have all the information on the individual so the results cannot be tailored for the individual.
3.1. Links between symptoms and a diagnosis without understanding the process between.
3.2. Overgeneralising information and misapplying it, causing unnecessary concern.
3.3. Can lead to Incorrect self diagnosis
4. Cyberchondria
4.1. Information provoked anxiety
5. Information availability bias
5.1. More literature readily available online for more fatal diagnosis.
6. The roles of doctors are changing
6.1. Doctors must 're-educate' patients interpretation of information that they've read online
6.2. A shift in the hierarchical nature of doctor-patient relationship.
6.3. Can be time consuming for some doctors.
6.4. What information a patient is concerned about and brought up to the doctor, could potentially say more behind what has brought them in, then what they think they need to seek treatment for. For example, anxieties and a fear of dying.
