Contrary to the warning 'Do not search for diseases on the net', sickness net search has a positive effect on patients

by FirmBee

In general, it is said that "You should not search Google for health-related things " because information on the Internet lacks credibility and makes people uneasy. So, how does the internet search on the symptoms of the disease actually carried out before the visit affect the interaction with the doctor after the visit? So, Australian clinical researcher Anthony Cocco et al. Conducted research.

Dr Google in the ED: searching for online health information by adult emergency department patients | The Medical Journal of Australia
https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2018/209/8/dr-google-ed-searching-online-health-information-adult-emergency-department

'Dr Google' can actually be helpful: survey
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/dr-google-can-actually-be-helpful-survey

Googling Your Medical Symptoms Can Actually Be a Good Thing
https://www.sciencealert.com/survey-dr-google-medical-information-health-online-symptoms-emergency-department-good-idea

The research team focused particularly on the emergency department and gathered 400 anonymous data from two hospitals, St. Bincent, Hospital Melbourne and Austin Hospital. And analyzed, it turned out that about one third of adult patients are investigating health problems on the Internet before they come to the emergency department. Also, 49% of patients regularly examined health problems on a regular basis.

In general, it is warned that "Internet information confuses people, so you should pay attention to self-diagnosis using the Internet", but in this research, search on the net is a real diagnosis It has been shown to have a positive impact. People who gained knowledge beforehand on the net tended to increase the number of questions to doctors, to communicate effectively and to understand the contents that the doctor talks about.

by rawpixel

Also, it has been found that Google search before visit does not reduce patient confidence in doctor's diagnosis and does not affect whether patient accepts treatment.

In addition, although the ability to properly search, evaluate and utilize health information is called "e-health literacy", researchers also conducted a survey focusing on the "e health literacy" of patients It was. As a result, it was obvious that people with higher e-health literacy scores tended to examine their symptoms before visiting the emergency department.

It is also indicated that the site that the person who searched most visited was the hospital website, the online encyclopedia, and the university's website, "The person who examines the disease on the net" I also understood that it does not mean people trying to get advice from Twitter and forums. 40% of the questionnaire respondents agreed with the idea that "searching for diseases on the Internet makes people worried and uneasy".

by PhotoMIX Ltd.

Responding to the findings, the researchers conclude that 'doctors in the emergency department should prepare to talk with patients about online information'.

It is said that "You should not search for sickness on the Internet", but if you can receive advice from doctors other than your own survey results, you can also look up the pain and symptoms you feel on the net It seems to be said that it is an ant.