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| (Drug News, 2010) |
The other day I was feeling rather under the weather and, as a busy Uni student, was rather annoyed. Like many others I don’t have the time or the money to go and see my doctor about every little thing. So, in an attempt to self diagnose, I ‘googled’ my symptoms online.
This method of obtaining medical advice is becoming more and more popular. According to Bennett (2009), the delivery of public health interventions is dramatically increasing online.
So as I searched through the many pages of results, the most common explanation for my hot flashes and headaches was menopause. It became blindingly obvious that the internet unsuccessfully diagnosed my condition as I am only 19 years old.
People are no longer seeking advice from their local GP and are instead self diagnosing. This is evident amongst people who are facing significant barriers accessing health advice through traditional methods (Bundorf 2006).
Bielenberg (2011) also raises the issue of self diagnosing on his blog this week.
While the internet may be an excellent source of information, it is important to recognise when you are in need of a professional opinion and not an anonymous persons guess.
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This method of obtaining medical advice is becoming more and more popular. According to Bennett (2009), the delivery of public health interventions is dramatically increasing online.
So as I searched through the many pages of results, the most common explanation for my hot flashes and headaches was menopause. It became blindingly obvious that the internet unsuccessfully diagnosed my condition as I am only 19 years old.
People are no longer seeking advice from their local GP and are instead self diagnosing. This is evident amongst people who are facing significant barriers accessing health advice through traditional methods (Bundorf 2006).
Bielenberg (2011) also raises the issue of self diagnosing on his blog this week.
While the internet may be an excellent source of information, it is important to recognise when you are in need of a professional opinion and not an anonymous persons guess.
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- Bennett, Gary and Russell E. Glasgow. 2009. “The Delivery of Public Health Interventions via the Internet: Actualizing their Potential.” Annual Review of Public Health 30 (1): 273-292.
- Bielenberg, David. 2011. "Week 6 Entry." KCB206 Blog - Ramblings on New Media, April 10. Accessed April 10, 2011. http://n6333869.blogspot.com/2011/04/week-6-entry.html
- Bundorf, Kate M., Todd H. Wagner, Sara J. Singer, Laurence C. Baker. 2006. “Who Searches the Internet for Health Information?” Health Services Research 41 (3): 819-836.
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