Exploratory Essay

Developments in modern medicine and technology have provided medical professionals and non-medical patients’ easily accessible health information to aid education and knowledge, however patients are misusing these internet based sources to self-diagnosing, and/or mistreating illnesses. As a result patients are further exposing themselves to greater health risks. A recent study shows that 35% of participants (n=2,928) stated that health information sourced online affected decisions regarding medical consultation (Aiken, Kirwan, Berry, & O’Boyle, 2012). Patients are not receiving the necessary health care from qualified professionals, and risking the quality of their wellbeing.

Arguably patients are opting for internet based medical advice to

al., 2012). Cyberchondriacs can spend hours at a time extensively searching for answers to symptoms they are experiencing and/or imagining. Having medical resources available on the internet is very helpful for a general medical based knowledge and can save time and costs. If a concerned mother notices her child is a little flustered and showing signs of dehydration she can easily take to the internet to seek advice and treat her child for dehydration without the hefty GP fees. Amongst all other reasons, people go to the internet for medical advice is for privacy and confidentiality. Commonly patients with genitalia concerns or queries are a little embarrassed and tend to feel more comfortable with the discreteness of online diagnosis. Online resources can put a patients mind at ease by assisting in diagnosing, saving time, money and conserving

Although the patient may only be experiencing a sore throat and headache, some patients exaggerate their symptoms, become paranoid and convinced they are terminally ill. Having access to multiple internet based medical information sites such as; webmd, mydr, mayoclinic or medicinnet, can be overwhelming and confusing to a non-medical professional. With all this information being provided to a non-medical patient, they may not be able to understand and/or interpret the information given resulting in obsession, depression, paranoia, stress and other serious mental illnesses. Although only a fraction of internet symptom researchers develop cyberchondria, the illness should not be taken lightly. Cyberchondria is a chronic mental illness that can have a significant impact on their health and