Although the answer given are on the whole fairly accurate, I feel that often it is given in too much detail. Non-medically trained people tends to read small prints and they tend to worry about rare side-effects or complication that rarely happens. Do they really want to know the pathophysiology of the disease? Do they really want to know which gene and which molecules are responsible? Does it really matter? Is this really what the askers are looking for? Small prints that you don't get during medical consultation, or are they looking for reassurance that they are not the only ones who have the disease?
What I've seen so far people ask questions that can be easily answered by practice nurse or GP, which I personally feel is more appropriate then asking the internet community and get told about rare complications or wrong information sometimes.
I supposed another way to phrase the quesiton is "Are internet patients hypochondriac?"
Adrian (A&E doctor)
2006-08-07 00:26:12 · 14 answers · asked by Adrian 2 in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Other - Diseases
It scares the hell out of me that people are asking serious medical questions that they would be better off asking a doctor (like the person who worked with a pregnant woman and wanted this forums opinion on whether it was ok to go into work with Shingles). What worries me more is that these people may actually be taking some of the clearly suicidal advise given on this forum.
Can I please ask that if you are asking about the best corn plaster to use, or the name of a decent antiseptic then this is the right place to ask, if you have a limb that has become detached during the night or have a serious medical problem then see a doctor, or at least somebody who is vaguely qualified to answer that question!!!!
2006-08-07 00:37:23 · answer #1 · answered by break 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
1
2016-05-28 12:20:06 · answer #2 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't know if it is the hypochondriac thing. Some people just like to have a bit of comfort knowing that others have a similar problem or opinion. Surely they don't follow strategies given as professional doctors cannot flash their degrees over the answer pages. I have seen a guy today who has entered 6 answers by saying he is an expert on: cuisine, sociology, law, security and social work. He either has a lot of degrees and jobs or he is a bull - merchant (I am being polite). I would say get a medical appointment for analysis and take comfort or debate from the answers pages.
2006-08-08 10:23:41 · answer #3 · answered by mairimac158 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I can understand your concern, but I'm not as worried as you seem to be. As I look at the advice given on many of these forums, not surprisingly, there is some good advice and some bad advice. But they tend to balance each other out. In other words, the questioner needs to look at the answers for what they are...a variety of opinions...no different than the opinions you get on a topic sitting around the dinner table with your family and friends.
Often these are questions that wouldn't get asked of a doctor anyway. How many of us have doctors that will sit down and answer the kinds of questions you see here? In some ways, these answers raise issues the questioner would likely not have thought of on his/her own. And I have seen MANY occasions where the answerers strongly encouraged the questioner to see a doctor. Of course, there is no guarantee that the questioner will ultimately take the good advice over the bad, but taken as a whole, I think YA does more good than bad.
2006-08-07 02:35:24 · answer #4 · answered by kathy_is_a_nurse 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is patient's right to seek answers from the internet community. On reading the questions, it is seen that patients are kept ignorant of the disease by the doctors. In certain cases they are seeking the clarification of the notes written by the radiologists & other medical specialists. No doctor will tell the patient the side-effects of the drug he has prescribed. Hence I consider that it is the duty of the patient to seek advice from any member of the Internet community. An non-medical person can give a link to the official medical website and clarify his doubt on any disease or drug or lab test.
2006-08-07 01:45:27 · answer #5 · answered by gangadharan nair 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
First off, YA requires no appointment or fee.
Second, many -not all to be sure- seek PEER groups and assurances and security of a sort from same, which they may believe -fairly or not- that they won't get in a busy med office.
What else...
Oh !...
Third, if they vent with their doc about every minor item -which by common protocol requires the famous appointment referred to, what you'll have is the physician, or impoersonation thereof, with his / her eyes galzed over and a very uncomfortable patient who by now realizes that he's been labeled a hypo.
No need to extrapolate further, but others may wish to contribute.
Sorry, doktor, this is not a perfect world.
2006-08-07 01:18:23 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
well ive been looking for an answer to my condition for 8 years. it started when i was 11 im now 18. ive been mis-diagnosed a handful of times and i still dont have an answer. ive seen my gp, child doctor at a private hospital, other gps and now a gynacologist at a private hospital. each one has a different answer. the pain now has got so bad that ive numerously told the doctors that im being driven to the end by this condition....still no answers..
in my opinion i dont trust doctors or anyone in the medical profession. i think they are useless. no wonder people such the internet for answers
2006-08-09 08:28:41 · answer #7 · answered by zoe_fairy_on_acid 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think you hit the nail on the head when you said reassurance.When I asked a medical question a few days ago about medication I was taking,I was looking for somebody that might of had the same side affects as I was having.Why don't I ask my doc you may ask.I really don't want to because I don't want to be subjected to any more tests etc.So yes I was looking for simple answers.
2006-08-07 00:38:33 · answer #8 · answered by Julie 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They do it for several reasons, I'm sure: They don't have insurance and can't afford a doctor, to ease their fears until they can get to the doctor's office, they are terrified of the doctor and/or they can ask questions online that they don't feel comfortable asking their doctor because either they feel to embarrassed or their doctor doesn't listen.
2006-08-07 00:36:31 · answer #9 · answered by carlawarla75 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think most people that ask medical questions are just looking for confirmation that they are not the only ones. I like you, always suggest that they talk to their physicians. Most of us are not doctors,but all we can do is share a similar experience.
2006-08-07 01:39:35 · answer #10 · answered by mrsreadalot 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋