Posted on 01/31/2011 3:42:05 PM PST by Daffynition
DOCTORS have warned they are seeing too many "cyberchondriacs", those patients who misdiagnose their illnesses after Googling their symptoms.
The Australian Medical Association is concerned the plethora of online medical information is doing more harm than good, with patients increasingly referring to the internet for advice before consulting a trained GP.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.com.au ...
Good for your diligence!
Right now, I’m having some unpleasant side effects from quite a strong *cocktail* of drugs that were prescribed to me after a hospital stay. They seem to be making me *sicker* than it seems they should. The doc won’t take time to figure out what the problems/interactions are. I’m in the process of changing horses in the middle of the stream, as it were. It’s frustrating.
+1
I’m a *cash cow* with a pretty good health plan. They can go fark themselves...Prima Donnas. For no good reason.
The problem with 'googling' your symptoms is there is a lot of crap out there and a lot of it is dangerous.
Hope you are OK........Dr. Oz probably has a cure!
Your razor burn is really Morgellons (according to Google)
Most doctors talk to their patients like we are first graders. I can't stand that, and I tell them to just let loose with the science. I can take notes and look it up later, but I don't need it all dumbed down for me.
Ping
Not only don’t they talk to you, they don’t read your list of ADVERSE DRUGS, and they sure don’t tell you about the side effects of their prescriptions. We get more info off TV commercials on that than from our docs and you can’t read that 5 pica print on those inserts even with a magnifying glass. And they don’t believe you when you do tell them about the ‘obscur side effects’ which for you has become a major side effect.
How do they think we become educated on all that is caused by any major condition, they sure don’t tell us. I learned more about my Fibromyalgia and how to treat it, what is most common side conditions, what works, and what doesn’t from internet research.
I google every new drug before I fill it.
With so much information readily and freely available now, anyone would be a fool not to actively educate themselves about their health.
If the doctors don’t like it, too bad.
A patient must be their own advocate. That means educating yourself in advance, asking questions about your doctor’s suggested course of action, and being outspoken when meds aren’t working. No doctor will ever care as much about your health as you will.
“They pushed pills on me that didn’t work, and then tried to push more pills to help the first pills work better.”
And this illustrates the problem.
If the docs would offer a better service, and research less invasive methods to solve medical problems instead of just throwing the latest pharmaceutical product at their patients then they would find their patients would not feel the need to research on their own.
“IF they were better with correct diagnosis AND cure or alleviation of symptoms, people would not need to diagnose themselves.”
Indeed. And unfortunately, most doctors are terrible at diagnosis because:
1. They don’t care.
2. They don’t keep up.
3. They don’t care
4. They are in a hurry.
5. They don’t care.
6. They rely on tests and don’t know how to perform clinical analysis.
7. They don’t care.
BTW, did I mention that they don’t care?
My experience has been if you don’t have some idea of what is wrong with you when you go to a doctor, you’re basically gonna succumb to your illness, because you won’t be diagnosed, or you’ll be mis-diagnosed, and/or you’ll be given a drug that will kill you instead of making you better.
I made the round of docs for years, and I mean literally coast to coast, and not one diagnosed my pernicious anemia. I spent years trying to figure out what was wrong. I was literally on my deathbed when I finally thought to ask a doc for a test that proved with 100% certainty that I had pernicious anemia. It came back extremely positive. The doc then says, yep, you’ve got pernicious anemia and one B12 injection a month will cure you. Like, DUH! And let me tell you, B12 shortage due to PA and other causes is NOT rare! And also, it becomes even more frequent as people age!
BTW, it’s only the worst of the worst docs that are threatened if you come in with your own information. You see, they hate it when a patient might know more than they do. The really great docs continually learn from their patients.
“I wasn’t thinking of Phrarma commercials, I was thinking of people like these guys:”
I don’t disagree with you. Freaking dirtbags and opportunists...
They must believe themselves to be the Catholic Church circa 1517...
Amen. Here’s where I tear my hair out. You call the doc with a question. Your question is taken down by a receptionist who forwards it to the doc...who probably addresses it on his lunch hour. The office calls you back and *interprets* the doc’s answer for you. These practices are bureaucratic empires.
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