Genetics and Public Health Information For All
Cyberchondriacs surf the web for hours a day looking up real or imagined, severe or mild symptoms. Most of us don’t have “health anxiety,” which affects 2 to 3 percent of Americans, but few of us trot straight to the doctor for a diagnosis as soon as something is wrong.
If you’re reading this blog, you probably usually look online first to get an idea of potential causes and treatments for whatever malady you’re experiencing at the moment. You’re not alone - about 80 percent of adult internet users look for health information online. And even when people finally decide to consult a physician, they’re usually armed with knowledge.
Assuming most of us aren’t suffering from health anxiety, having more information within easy access is a good thing. Antoine Clarke of CNE Health agrees,
Bluntly, it will soon be the case, if it not already true, that a patient or parent will have more up to date and complete information than a general practitioner. In one recent hospital visit to see a friend, we speculated that soon patients would be quoting specialists’ own papers at them to query complicated diagnoses.
Clarke cites the Genetics and Public Health Blog as “the sort of blog that is revolutionising the relationship between patient and medical professional”.
Hope your next visit to the doctor’s is a productive, maybe even revolutionary, one.
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POSTED IN: General Genetics and Health
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4 opinions for Genetics and Public Health Information For All
Brad
Aug 11, 2005 at 1:27 am
HIV is very often the subject of health anxiety. Its initial symptoms are vague or even nonexistant, and it’s impossible to rule out if you can’t build up the courage to get tested. It’s not an easy situation for a health professional to deal with.
But I’m in full agreement that health information should be easily accessible on the internet — not just for patients but for health professionals as well.
Lei
Aug 11, 2005 at 5:17 am
Brad, It takes a lot of effort to go see a doctor - time off work, cost, fear, etc. Wonder how we can make it easier? Bring back house visits?
Donna
Aug 11, 2005 at 10:14 am
When Ivy was diagnosed in utero with an ompholocele, the information we found on the internet was both informative and terrifying. I still am glad we had it, but it’s important that people utilize the information properly and realize that sometimes with regards to illness you get the worst case scenario. Same with my c-section, the night before I sat up and read all sorts of horror stories–no on was writing about their incident-free procedure. So, armed with this knowledge, it’s good to talk to the doctor and continue to be informed by as many sources as possible.
Lei
Aug 11, 2005 at 10:40 am
Donna, One of the things I look for when I am research a specific symptom or disease is the incidence rate so I can get an idea of how rare or common it is. That usually gives me a feel for how freaked out I should be.
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