Bupa, the health insurance company behind MBF, HBA and Mutual Community here in Australia, recently conducted a survey across 12 countries around using the net for self-diagnosis. Turns out us Aussies like to take trips to Dr. Google to find out what ails us…
According to the study, nearly 80% of Australians have taken a trip to Dr Google, and almost half of those were to look up information for self diagnosis, while 70% use Google to research medicines.
Bupa is a little bit concerned about this trend – as they would be – because results from searching symptoms can vary greatly. Pins and needles, for example, can be a symptom for both a Vitamin B12 deficiency or Multiple Sclerosis. Only a slight difference between those ones…
The study also asked about utilising online resources for medical diagnosis and treatment, and found that 61% of Australians surveyed were supportive of a secure website where they could access their medical records and test results online.
Ultimately though, it’s just important to understand that like anything on the internet, not all online diagnoses are created equal…
Cameron
Thursday, February 10, 2011 at 12:14 PMMaybe if health care wasn’t so expensive and inconvenient we wouldn’t have to use Google.
Paddy
Thursday, February 10, 2011 at 12:19 PMI am a GP.
Dr. Google is the bane of my life.
However if used correctly, Prof Google helps me on a daily basis.
FYI (for all the self-certified physicians out there)
A very good website with good PATIENT ORIENTATED leaflets is patient.co.uk.
ozboy
Thursday, February 10, 2011 at 12:43 PMI only see a GP to get prescriptions or a work absence certificate. If I want to be informed, I tell them to refer me to a specialist, regardless of what their opinion is.
Paddy
Thursday, February 10, 2011 at 1:09 PMMore fool you.
I see patients everyday that ask me to explain what the specialist said.
If you find your GP is not up to scratch, find a better one. There are plenty of good ones around.
Funnily enough, GPs are not like McDonalds. They are not all the same. They are not always able to see you when YOU want and if you move around seeing different ones every week, your health will suffer. If you swan in demanding a script as if it were a takeaway kebab, you will be treated in a similar fashion.
My advice to patients is to find a GP that they get on with, stick with them. If you don’t understand something or aren’t happy with something, say so. We are not mind-readers. Don’t turn up with a list of 50 things to sort out in a 15 min appt, because you will leave disappointed. Time is limited, as are appts so book in advance for things that can wait. That toenail that you have been looking at for 3 weeks, does not need to be seen this afternoon just because you have the afternoon off.
Rant over.
pan.sapiens
Thursday, February 10, 2011 at 4:40 PMI’m sure you are a good GP, Paddy, but good GPs are hard to find. And expensive.
I have a moderately common chronic condition (affects ~1% pop.). My symptoms are absolutely text-book for this condition. I saw three bulk-billing doctors, on each multiple occasions. None even considered the correct diagnosis. All but one seemed most concerned with getting me out of their office as quickly as possible. After a year I got a correct diagnosis only after suggesting it to a doctor myself (on advice of a family member who turned out to suffer from the same partly-hereditary condition). Thanks to this I am now fine, but I was sick (syptomatic) EVERY DAY FOR A YEAR thanks to relying on the advice of GPs.
Most people I talk to seem to have a similar story to this. Is it any wonder people turn to google?
Damo
Thursday, February 10, 2011 at 12:47 PMI will never forget going to a Doctor on Brisbane’s Southside two years ago with my daughter and describing the symptoms she was experiencing. The doctor wasn’t able to diagnose her initially so she turned to her computer and googled the symptoms.
Ever since we referred to her as Dr Google… not that we’ve been back.
Dan
Thursday, February 10, 2011 at 12:56 PMIf doctors in this country could actually speak English and understood my symptoms maybe I would go bother. To date I have not found a single Australian doctor. Most herald from the university of India…. The health system is a sham..
54efg5t
Thursday, February 10, 2011 at 4:17 PM50 percent of doctors graduated in the bottom half of their class.
Medicine is a cartel with a trade union called the AMA trying to protect their cash cows.
I could not care less what anyone thinks of me googling symptoms. It is none of their business.
I have seen a doctor google symptoms in an Emergency room.
Health care is kept expensive simply because the government colludes with universities to arbitrarily keep the amount of graduates and places low. This is proven.
Obviously knowledge is power and the doctors are concerned that with the public’s increased access to knowledge on the internet, the doctor’s power decreases commensurately.
All a trained doctor’s mind is, is a collection of either and or / if not this / then that facts that they memorized. One day a computer will be able to spit out the answers we need.
Very few doctors are creative thinkers, most of them are just people who regurgitate whatever outdated crap they read in a textbook 30 years ago.
Very few doctors even bother to keep up with the latest studies… they would claim they ‘don’t have the time’, but all that really means is they have decided to spend that time making money rather than updating their skills.
Paddy
Thursday, February 10, 2011 at 5:07 PMHealth is an emotive issue. I will not try to convert anyone from their thinking, because of people are fixed in their ideas. I will finish with a couple of points.
Firstly, medicine is not just about facts, it is about experience and feeling. A consultation can be therapeutic in itself. Speaking to a person and discussing one’s ideas, concerns and expectations is often of enormous benefit to a patient. A computer cannot do this, and will not likely be able to for a very long time.
Secondly, a computer will not be able to look at a sick child in the waiting room and know that they ARE sick and need to be admitted to hospital ASAP.
Thirdly, a computer will not know you for years and comfort you after a loved one has died. Nor will it know what to say to help ease your pain.
Medicine is not just about signs and symptoms. It is about holistic care of a patient and (last time I checked) Google does not have an “I feel Holistic” button.
Finally, for the record, I bulk bill. Although, I understand why people don’t. In 1985 the GP received around $20 for a bulk-billed consultation from Medicare. In 25 years that has gone up to $34.90. Would you not feel a little ripped off that the government had only increased you wage that amount in 25 years?
Nick Broughall
Thursday, February 10, 2011 at 5:18 PMThanks for being so respectful and open Paddy – as the moderator around here, I really appreciate it.
Also, I really want Google to have an “I feel Holistic” button. I don’t think it would really work, but I want one anyway!
simon c
Friday, February 11, 2011 at 4:31 AM>In 1985 the GP received around $20 for a bulk-billed consultation from Medicare. In 25 years that has gone up to $34.90
lolwut? Im a little stupid, I ENJOY paying taxes, what I don’t like is how its spent – if thats right and thats all bulk billing doctors get, im confused and offended. Study for 10 years, save lives and eat the scraps off Homers table.
which politician do we need to poke to fix this?
Paddy
Friday, February 11, 2011 at 9:56 AM@ Simon C
Here is the link for a Standard Consultation as billed by Medicare. There are ways of increasing the income of a GP, particularly with chronic disease, but the vast majority of patients I see in a day are Item 23 – as mentioned above.
http://www9.health.gov.au//mbs/search.cfm?q=23&sopt=I
btg
Friday, February 11, 2011 at 11:33 AMand let me guess – the other 50% graduated in the top half of their class? idiot.
randomambling
Thursday, February 10, 2011 at 4:26 PMYep. Dr’s generally play games. They appear to often have vested interests in parallel with, and not compatible with true well being.
Instance: I went to the Doc for a routine checkup. Cholesterol is high, not dangerously – but of concern. Really high good stuff, significant but not ridiculous good stuff.
I asked for options. The only option provided was a drug to lower it. Not, a: make a food diary ad lets review, not b: perhaps see a nutrition specialist, etc.
No, the answer is: take these drugs to artificially lower the levels, and by the way, lets not mention that you’ll be taking these drugs the rest of your life.
Lets be fair modern medicine saves lives and is generally good. But is’s also a business. Like the legal profession – having it’s own language and systems designed to provide maximum smoke and mirrors to Joe public.
I decided to make dietary changes and then review rather than become a junkie.
Ask questions – and don’t necessarily thing that the Dr is more intelligent than you, or has no other agenda.
Caveat Emptor.
/randomambling
Doofus
Thursday, February 10, 2011 at 5:06 PMLast Doctor I went to didn’t even take a moment to make eye contact. I was disgusted. Seems they don’t teach bed manner anymore. Going to a GP these days is like cattle being treated for lice. You get herded into a small space, given chemicals and then spat out to roam in the paddock.
Sam H
Thursday, February 10, 2011 at 6:40 PMI’ve been lucky enough to find a great GP – I found asking the pathologists in my area for some suggestions on GP’s I might want to try was a good way of getting a shortlist. In regard to Dr Google, I have found that reading up on the suspected diagnosis after the initial discussions with my GP (rather than the symptoms) helps create a better understanding of the language, issues and other bits and pieces associated with that diagnosis, helping me to have more informed discussions and ask better questions as I see specialists, have more tests done etc. That being said, sticking to the more reliable sites is important!
Steve
Thursday, February 10, 2011 at 10:06 PMI’m not a doctor (yet), but nearly out and have done my fair share of ward/GP/hospital/ambo placements, it definitely comes down to your GP. I’ve seen a lot of impersonal ones, and also a lot of good ones. Find someone who treats you as a person first, can talk to you about everything you want with complete confidence and stick with them.
There’s nothing wrong with googling symptoms (hell, I do it myself, Davidson’s is thick… and heavy and often inconvenient). But it should be used responsibly and with a grain of salt. The problem with self-diagnosis (this is a big no-no in the field) is that people will often see diseases where there are none.
There’s an old saying in medical school that for case/lecture, there are a new batch of students thinking they have it. This is natural. This is why an objective, professional eye is needed. The doctor doesn’t know every little bit of information, and this is a GOOD thing. Patients often over-analyse. “I had a coke this morning, will it affect this rash? I clenched by right butt-cheek at 10am, will I have a stroke?” THAT’S the job of the GP, to see things through an unclouded lens.
COST: I understand that sometimes it may be expensive, but find a good practice that bulk-bills (there are plenty).
CONVENIENCE: Yes, it might be a pain to go over to the GP, but that’s what he’s for. El Goog may provide you some rudimentary information (that may or may not be correct), and this is your health we’re talking about. So you might as well do it properly.
I hope this clears some of the air regarding self-diagnosis.
Steve
Thursday, February 10, 2011 at 10:22 PMEdit: I wish I included this in my earlier post, maybe Nick or Elly can fix this :)
The point I was trying to make with all that, is simply that there’s no conspiracy out to screw people with substandard care and exorbitant costs. Telling people to avoid Googling symptoms, is in their interest, not ours. The lesson is that if you do want to do a bit of research before seeing your GP so you’d have a bit more in-depth understanding, this is PERFECT. GPs love this, because 99% of the time have to mentally translate everything they say into laymens’ terms, and it shows that you’re being proactive.