What percentage of patients Google their symptoms?

Two in five Americans have falsely convinced themselves they have a serious disease, after turning to “Dr. Google” – according to new research. A survey of 2,000 Americans found that 43 percent have looked their symptoms up online and ended up believing they had a much more serious illness than in actuality.

Is it against Hipaa to Google a patient?

Googling your patients does not violate HIPAA. You are acting as an observer of information rather than posting a patient’s information online yourself. Regardless of the fact that doing some online research into your patients’ pasts isn’t technically illegal, it still should not be taken lightly.

Why do people use Dr Google?

Google’ More than a third of patients have gone online to identify a medical condition, raising concerns about “cyberchondria” and requiring physicians to adapt to help patients differentiate the helpful websites from the misleading ones.

Why should you not look up your name on Google?

It’s important to remember that the rankings you see are NOT the rankings seen by everyone else. Your search results are tailored to you. As a result, googling yourself doesn’t give you the big picture. It just gives you an (often misleading) indicator of your performance based on narrow criteria.

Should patients research their own symptoms?

It’s time to stop debating whether patients should research their own symptoms. It’s happening already, and the medical profession would be better served to handle this new reality. According to the Pew Internet and American Life Project, 61\% of patients turn to the web to research health information.

Is Google the future of medical information?

Arthur Caplan, director of the division of medical ethics at NYU Langone Medical Center: “I think what Google is doing is not such a bad thing. Like it or not, that’s where people are going for health information. It’s the future. Making it better and vetting it by doctors is a good idea.

Why do doctors roll their eyes when patients bring in research?

Many doctors roll their eyes whenever patients bring in a stack of research they printed out, stemming from a Google search of their symptoms. A piece by Zachary Meisel in TIME.com describes a familiar scenario:

Can Google help you make better health decisions?

Google, like a few other great sites, have done a great job in getting you the knowledge you need to make a good decision.” Dr. Robert Hasty, Campbell University Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine: “Easy access to health information has the potential to empower patients and improve health.