Abstract. Medical websites online are starting to take over the roles of doctors by providing ample

Transcription

1 1 Abstract The dangers of medical websites and the addiction surrounding them is explored in this paper. Medical websites online are starting to take over the roles of doctors by providing ample information to the reader regarding their health that the patient does not feel the need to visit their professional doctor. This issue brings about a waste of time energy and resources due to the false self diagnosis most people receive from these sites. Dr.Google may be a very convenient and seemingly reliable source until the patient is diagnosing themselves with cancer when in fact they have a seasonal cold. By evaluating and considering the outcomes of Cyberchondria,this paper discusses that the most direct way to combat this disease is by reassuring to the patient that these sites are not a diagnosis by any means and that visiting their doctor is the most reliable method of gaining health information.

2 2 Ten years ago, when a person would get a sore throat or have a slight fever, their first thought was to visit their doctor and be diagnosed with the average cold or a seasonal flu. In this day and age, with the advance of technology and the dependency on search engines in society, more people have been turning to Dr. Google for advice when feeling under the weather. These websites give rise to a disease called Cyberchondria which is the false belief that one is suffering from a disease that was learned about on the Internet or on a specific website (Sennebogen, 2007). This phobia can be harmful to the user and can cause them to become addicted to these types of websites. This creates problems in society because it causes the patient-doctor relationship to deteriorate. Medical websites such as Web MD and Your Diagnostic are great for explaining various symptoms and help give users an idea of their possible diagnosis. However if mishandled, they can be destructive to both the individual using it and society at large. By 2015, these websites must be modified and monitored by medical professionals in order to ensure patients are aware that the explanations the websites give them are not diagnoses and that they should visit their doctor for a more accurate diagnosis. According to a national survey conducted by the Pew Internet & American Life Project,62 percent of internet users have gone online in search of health information.that means "more people go online for medical advice on any given day than actually visit health professionals, according to figures provided by the American Medical Association."(American Medical Association, 2003) This is causing the patient to lose trust in the physician because the information they are finding online is more reliable to them. After searching on websites like Web MD the user becomes very confident in what they have researched and will even argue with their doctor if they disagree with the results of their Dr. Google diagnosis. In addition, the economy affects people who are anxious about illnesses. With the increasingly worsening world

3 3 economy, fewer people are able to afford health insurance; therefore, less people are inclined to visit their doctor s office because they believe self-treatment is more affordable than the treatment of a doctor. Another issue of concern regarding these medical websites is the quality of information posted in them. Due to the immense amount of information readily available on the internet it would be very difficult for medical professionals to look through it all and monitor it in order to make sure it is all accurate. We must all work to ensure that the information provided online is of high quality so that individuals searching for more information can attain it.according to Ben Davidson of the Massachusetts Academy of Math and Science, the information obtained from health related searches can affect peoples decisions about when to ask a physician for assistance with diagnosis or therapy, how to treat a grave illness or deal with a chronic condition, and their overall approach to conserving their health or the health of someone in their care. Beyond considerations of illness, information drawn from the Web can influence how people reflect and make decisions about their health and wellbeing, including the attention they seek from healthcare professionals, and behaviors with regard to diet, exercise, and medications to take. This can seriously affect the individual in a negative way and cause them to become even more ill than they were to begin with. In a conversation with one of my friends at Oakland University, I casually referred to Cyberchondria and that I was doing an research on this subject. She asked what that was, and after I explained to her what the disease was, she looked taken aback and said I have that!! After continuing my conversation with her, I realized that Cyberchondria is more widespread than I had originally imagined. In a study conducted by the American Medical Association, Eight in 10 Americans who use the Internet look for health information online.(american Medical

4 4 Association, 2011) Emergency physician Rahul Khare, MD, stated that he and his colleagues in their Chicago emergency department have noticed an increase in Cyberchondria especially among young adults.(2012) Doctors have repeatedly stated that they have spent a great deal of their patients time trying to explain that they do not have the specific disease that they are so confident they are affected with. The doctors have also been pressured to order irrelevant and needless blood tests by their patients who are so worried that they are chronically ill. If this viral use of these health websites and forums continue, both time and money will be wasted. Cyberchondria, like most phobias, ruins people s lives. After viewing a few Yahoo Answers posts in the Health section, many of these questions posed by ordinary people show obvious signs of Cyberchondria. In a specific post by a user named Tat, titled Can someone diagnose my vision problem?, the user explains their health issue and urges anyone who sees the question to answer with feedback. This situation creates a number of issues that can be harmful to the inquiring user. The question is open to the public so basically anyone who sees that post is able to input their opinion on the user s specific health problem. The information this user will receive will most likely be disreputable and unreliable. In their post, Tat also mentions that they suspect that they have serious eye diseases like CVS and astigmatism, the user even suggests that he/she is going blind. This is an indicator of cyberchondria due to their apparent anxiety regarding their condition. Medical Websites are an excellent and affordable source for the average health information seeker. Nevertheless, the negative effects of these sites outweigh the positives. By focusing on how convenient and easy to use these websites are, Advocates of Diagnostic online sites are overlooking the deeper problem of the phobias and addictions these websites can cause for people in general. I agree that the sites are more affordable and definitely helpful because my

5 5 experience with these websites confirms that. Though I concede that these websites should still be accessed and used I still insist that there need to be clear warnings and indications on the site that explain that the information given on these sites do not replace a doctor s professional opinion and that if the patient is feeling serious symptoms they should visit their doctor immediately. To sum up, in regards to medical health information, your doctor is the most reliable source to go to. In a situation in which you cannot visit your doctor, visiting a reliable health website such as Web MD or Your Diagnostic. However, while visiting these sites be sure to remember that it is not your diagnosis, it is merely a place for more information regarding your symptoms. Visiting medical websites too often may damage your health more than improve it! By the year 2015, these websites should be mandated to provide clear and straightforward messages that remind the viewer that the information located online is not their diagnosis. References Fox, S. (2006). Online Health search Pew internet & American Life Project. Retrieved September 23, 2012, from Moyer, C. (2012). Cyberchondria: the one diagnosis patients miss.retrieved September 24, 2012, from Sennebogen, E. (n.d.). Discovery Health "Microsoft Examines the Causes of Cyberchondria". Discovery Fit and Health. Retrieved September 23, 2012, from

6 6 Tat (2012, September 20). Can someone diagnose my vision problem? - Yahoo! Answers.Yahoo! Answers - Home. Retrieved September 22, 2012, from index;_ylt=alylzhqskghfv9j78cfsskot53ng;_ylv=3?qid= aa3awq Aiken, M., Kirwan, G., & O'Boyle, C. (2012). The age of cyberchondria. Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland Student Medical Journal, 5(71). Retrieved from scholar.googleusercontent.com/scholar? Coluccio, K., Turrow, J., Sawicki, N., & Jacobsohn, L. (2003). Discussions of Health Websites in Medical and Popular Media. ASC Departmental Papers Journal, 1(17), Retrieved from Davidson, B. (2009, January 12). Cyberchondria. The Scientia Review. Retrieved September 23, 2012, from