Symptoms and Diagnoses — how not to google yourself into unnecessary worry?
First of all, in today’s information environment in which we live, it would be strange if a patient did not strive to obtain information about their condition. Especially if a disease is chronic and lasts a long time, there is inevitably a desire to know more about the illness. And the simplest way is to use search engines.
Fairly, every person, not only the sick, should be interested in their health and ways to preserve or improve it. After all, the principles of a healthy lifestyle are constantly supplemented with up-to-date data.
Second, the task of a modern doctor is not to forbid studying information about one’s condition on the Internet, but to help the patient navigate reliable sources. By using quality information, the patient and the doctor find common ground faster, which also affects the success of treatment.
Third, patients seeking their doctor can adequately assess their competence if they themselves possess quality information.
But where do those pseudo-Google self-diagnoses come from?
It is no secret to anyone nowadays that you can read all sorts of things on the Internet. In some cases we manage to distinguish nonsense from truth, while in others—not always. Often, inadequate information appears as a result of the authors’ ignorance. And what is even more sad is that some pseudo-scientific information is generated intentionally by real scammers who profit from it.
And now the most important. Fake data are easy to filter if you use the simple rules below:
The source of information matters first. Pay attention to the site that hosts medical materials. Does it relate to the medical field? Does it offer on-site advertising for so-called alternative medicine?
Sometimes authors of pseudo-medical sites try to present them as modern scientific resources. It is necessary to carefully look at the article that interests you. Does it have authorship? If not — read it with great caution, since no one is responsible for its content;
If there is an author but it is unknown who they are, such resources may add an author or expert even from the medical field or fabricate one. Check whether such a person exists and whether they actually work in this area. It’s best to verify on the Google Scholar.
At this stage, most fakes crumble, since scammers mainly target people who are easily convinced. Such people are easy to manipulate and convinced that their <
And finally: do not skimp on time to study issues related to your health. No modern and conscientious doctor will object to an educated patient who is interested in their illness and motivated to achieve successful treatment.
There is no need to fully understand protocols and guidelines. For that there are doctors who are familiar with these principles and can explain them to you in an accessible form. Do not be shy to ask your doctor about information you found on the Internet. The answer to your questions can play a decisive role in forming trust in the doctor. And trust is a prerequisite for harmonious cooperation in overcoming your ailments.
