Unit 5 Last Response Needed

Good afternoon class: Today anyone with a computer and a connection can get online and find the result for a problem they may be experiencing from a nagging stomach ache to a more serious problem such as contemplating a knee replacement or liposuction surgeries. But just because we can; does it mean that we should? In a world where almost everyone is online and can easily find medical advice is it really, a good idea to consider all websites a reliable source.

Patients troll Internet sites to find desired health information. The fact that this occur isn’t really surprising. We are a culture of people who seek instant information. When we are sick; we want to know what is wrong with us and we want to know it now. There is no doubt that education and communication are among the main benefits of the Internet. However, the Internet needs to be taken into careful consideration. Why? Many people try to Google their symptoms to get a diagnosis from Internet sites, but many of these symptoms could mean other things. Some patients choose to do some research before going to their physician and self-diagnosis and go to their doctor with wrong information.

The main problem with patients seeking health care information is they will Google “why do I have a headache?” Clicking on a plethora websites after an hour they finally stumble on a website they think is reliable and read a headache can be a symptom of brain cancer. Now you have a worried patient who has completely false information because of the Internet. As a patient, each person need to know where to get reliable information that is accurate. Which Internet sites do you believe is reliable? How and why do you believe it is reliable? Do you have proof it is reliable?

Dr. Louison

This Must Be Substantive with at least 1 Scholarly Reference