Guest Post by Ben Haber … from the patient perspective
When people start feeling sick, scheduling a doctor’s appointment isn’t necessarily everyone’s first move. Many people have turned to social networks – especially Facebook – to find an explanation for their symptoms.
All this takes is a quick status update, “I have the chills and feel nauseous, but no fever” or “I have a sharp pain in my knee when I stand up and walk around, but its fine when I sit down,” to get a quick diagnosis from friends. While responses may not be completely accurate, they will come from trusted sources that may have experienced similar symptoms, and can offer advice or suggestions. Some people may try to diagnosis the illness, other will make suggestions, and some people will simply take pity – but in either case its healthcare social media style.
So what does this mean for doctors? When patients come to their office with specific problems (illness or injury), they likely already have some ideas of what their problem could be. Doctors must assume that patients have already done their research online through social networks (and potentially other medical sites like WebMD and Wikipedia to educate themselves before entering the doctor’s office. They will no longer simply accept a medical diagnosis from a doctor – they will ask questions and potentially debate if they are being correctly diagnosed and the best treatment options.
While social media diagnosis may result in more work for doctors, it also creates a society that is more in tune with and interested in medicine, as people educate themselves and other more about the conditions that they experience. This is a very good thing for society, as it can result in healthier people that take more interest in the health and well being of themselves and their friends.
This is a guest post contributed by Ben Haber, a Senior Account Executive at Racepoint Group.
Disclaimer: this information is for your education and should not be considered medical advice regarding diagnosis or treatment recommendations. Some links on this page may be affiliate links. Read the full disclaimer.
Ben,I do agree that patients becoming more educated about their health and having symptoms diagnosed more quickly for the sake of getting the right treatment at the right time is very important.However, I have often heard clinicians talk about the nightmare that services like WebMD can pose as patients quickly over-diagnose a problem that they have sending them into a panic or wanting to over-treat conditions.I know in one or two instances I have logged onto the site and based on my symptoms saw you may have: i.e. influenza, allergies, or spinal meningitis. While I would never want to be under-diagnosed and put myself in a dangerous spot, I have to admit being quite freaked out over something very minor at times.What is your thought on people being diagnosed via non-clinicians over social media and in turn being put into a panic or seeking the wrong treatment?Chris LeBeauhttp://www.chrislebea.com/blog
Hi Chris,I agree with you that patients have a lot of information to access, and can easily misdiagnose themselves. That’s why it’s still very important to see a doctor, because I for one, don’t 100% trust my own medical opinion, no matter what I’ve read online!Ben
Very well written post. It will be helpful to everyone who employess it, including yours truly :). Keep up the good work – can’r wait to read more posts.