Weekly Written Analysis 2

The topic I chose for the week two analyses is medical advice websites. There are rashes of medical advice websites in operation today. These websites can provide medical advice, symptom checker, general information about diseases and conditions, and general health information. These websites are growing in popularity as many people refer to the internet for information. People have started using these websites instead of calling their doctor or a hotline. These websites allow you to enter information and then provide you with a series of steps to follow to treat the condition or symptoms that you are experiencing. These websites can be both good and bad. If one does not convey their symptoms properly they could receive an incorrect diagnosis. Websites such as these can provide good information in dire circumstances but should not be substituted for a medical professional’s opinion.
These websites have also affected doctors business because far less people are seeing the doctor. These people are seeking home treatment instead of making an appointment with the doctor. Most times people are able to treat minor injuries or illnesses with the advice that they receive from these websites. Sometimes things do not go so smoothly. On rare occasions people use the advice from these websites and they make the problem worse. Their doctor or emergency room must then treat the patient’s condition to prevent further complications.
Individuals must realize that these websites were not created to take the place of a doctor but to provide advice for minor problems. According to an article from ABC there are several things that a person should consider before taking advice from one of these internet sites. (Green, 2008) Today’s culture is very technologically savvy and we are always looking for a more efficiently way to do things. Thus the medical advice websites have replaced the medical dictionaries of the past. In many ways the websites of today are able to provide much more specific information than their printed counterparts of the past. Everyone must beware that these websites are not familiar with a patient’s history and therefore cannot predict reactions to medications or potentially fatal problems. These websites should not be used to diagnose or treat any serious or potentially serious conditions.


References
Green, L. (2008, December 30). Finding trustworthy medical advice online. Retrieved May 30, 2009, from abclogal.go.com: http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=view_from_the_bay/health_fitness&id=6485853