"Google" for Medical Information: The New "Cyber-Chondriacs"

There are so many people these days who "Google" for medical information, that a new word has been coined-"cyber-chondriacs." Every symptom or sickness sends them running to the computer for a do-it-yourself diagnosis. While some know more than their physicians about a researched topic, many are finding misinformation, which leads to unnecessary worry and fear. New research from the Pew Internet and American Life Project reveals that the patients most likely to challenge a doctor with the information they find online, are people who have chronic conditions and disabilities. Others are nervous about confronting a physician.

Physicians were initially frustrated with the cyber medical knowledge that patients were obtaining, and reluctant to give up their position as the uncontested authorities on medical information. But helpless to fight the growing trend of those seeking additional facts about a disease or procedure, doctors have had to adapt to a more educated patient. In fact, a 2005 study found that most doctors are encouraging patients to talk with them about the information they have acquired online. Online research is also helpful in understanding the language that doctors speak, so that a patient can intelligently participate in decision making concerning treatment.

According to a Harris poll, over 80% of all Internet users, have engaged in medical searches online, and 50% are searching on behalf of others. These people tend to be younger, better educated, and more affluent than the general population. Baby Boomers also do a lot of this type of medical research.

Dr. Scott Haig, an orthopedic surgeon, could hear his patient typing on her keyboard, doing research on him, as she conversed on the phone. By the time she arrived for her appointment, she knew what university he went to, had read a paper he wrote, and knew where he lived. He refers to such patients as "brainsuckers"-people who shop for doctors, but can't seem to stick with any of them, and who complain and talk a lot. (That comment could easily be interpreted as offensive and patronizing.) Nevertheless, he has also written an article for Time called, "When the Patient Is a Googler".

On a personal note, when I presented my doctor with some Internet information, pertaining to warnings about a medication I was taking, it was summarily dismissed, with the comment that "you can find anything online." (My information was from a reputable physicians' research group.)

It is true, however, that a person can be overwhelmed with the ocean of medical information available on the Internet. Often there are contradictory facts, and a patient cannot be sure which information is trustworthy. Some people become obsessed with finding information, and then suffer anxiety and fear over what they have found. But for others, it is self preservation. Numerous patients can tell a story about correctly diagnosing their own disease, when a doctor could not. With the amount of medications that people are taking these days, no one can be over informed about the side effects or possible contraindications. Doctors all too often only know what the drug representatives have told them about a drug's side effects, and a patient has a right to know what to expect.

Research has shown, that more and more people are using the Internet, to access medical information before and after a doctor's visit. Many people feel that with the monetary incentives that doctors have for getting us in and out of their offices quickly, and because of the perks that drug companies give them for writing a prescription, the Internet may be our only safety net for making informed choices about our medical care.

Sources: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17214066
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1681838,00.html?imw=Y
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/OnCall/Story?id=3190086&page=2