The Potential Dangers of Health By Internet

The Potential Dangers of Health By Internet

I was recently in touch with a very interesting writer called Burton Paul.  Burton is a healthcare academic and consultant. He is a doctoral candidate in pursuit of a PhD at Imperial College, Faculty of Medicine, London and I was very interested in what he had to say about our increasing tendency to research our medical complaints on line.  It is something that many of us will have done, but is it always a good idea? Burton had this to say:

A patient today can access information like never before, empowering them to better manage their health. Imagine what the future will look like when the children of today seek medical attention having known the internet all of their lives?
Burton’s research at Imperial College Faculty of Medicine involves understanding the triggers and motivations that leads the Internet user to search for health information on the Internet.  Probably one of the best pieces of advice he can give us is  - Don’t panic – learn not to believe everything you read!

The Internet is not only a way of learning about symptoms and treatments. One of its most powerful uses is to connect people who are experiencing similar challenges, providing possibilities for exchange of view and emotional support. It can be enormously comforting, especially to people with a rare condition or long-term illness, to discover that they are not alone in the daily challenges they face. Useful advice from people with more experience of the condition than you can immeasurably enhance your quality of life. If you have a confirmed diagnosis with a particular disease, by using some of the tools and methods in Burton’s forthcoming book, you will be able to search the internet for other patients who are already living with this particular condition or disease, whether through blogs, forums, websites, social media and so on.

Anyone who gets a diagnosis of a particular disease, especially if it is life- altering or life threatening, experiences high emotion. There is no telling how much of what you read can affect your own state of mind. This is where it can be important to search and find others who can provide clear emotional support and guidance for what you are experiencing.

Burton’s top tips for getting information from the Internet are well worth keeping in mind:

•      Be skeptical, but not cynical, about health information on the Internet.

•      Check, check and check again.

•    You cannot reach a diagnosis via the web; even doctors often need to confirm indications through test results, for example on blood or urine, or MRI scans.

•     Try to understand the motivations of the more vocal people who contribute to Internet health discussions. Some may be angry; others may have a vested interest.

•      Try to be clear about your own motives, and self-aware about your own feelings, so you don’t end up being infected by other people’s emotions.

•      Credible websites will have information prepared by experienced medical professionals; will not charge for diagnoses, and ideally will be independent of manufacturers or other service providers.

Burton will soon be releasing his book. For anything you would like to know about this article or his forthcoming book please contact him on burton.paul@imperial.ac.uk

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Amanda Thomas

UK Health Radio