by Carolyn Gudenau

Created on: May 06, 2010

Before the Information Age, people got sick, went to the doctor for help and usually took the advice and/or medication to get better.

Then one day, doctors started handing out brochures to inform you of your diagnosis and your options so you could make informed decisions.  Next, there were brochures available to inform you of any number of possible illnesses and actions you could take to prevent them. Before, you took the baby regularly for vaccinations, now you had to sign an informed consent before they would administer it.

There can be a fine line between giving and receiving enough information and too much. Since appointments are usually very brief and the doctor does not have time to give or receive a great deal of information, any resource the patient can use effectively, helps them by giving facts and consolation before and after the actual doctor visit.

Problems can develop if the patient uses the tool ineffectively, for example, to self-diagnose.

Maybe you know someone who habitually overreacts to any symptom, minor or major, that they may be experiencing. Whenever you talk to them, you will hear about their most recent illness, doctor visits or hospital stays. After that, you’ll get the rundown on the scheduled tests, etc.

On the other hand, some people always under-react to their symptoms, minor or major, for various reasons. Many times, it is the fear of the unknown that causes them to avoid actually finding out what’s wrong and doing something about it. They may use this tool to self-diagnose and dismiss the need to visit a professional.

At best, an online symptom checker may relieve some of their anxiety and actually give them the courage to call the doctor’s office for an appointment. Like its predecessor, the Home Remedy Book, the online version gives

-enough information to help a person recognize their symptoms as they try to determine if a doctor visit is warranted

-various remedies to try at home while waiting for the doctor appointment or, if applicable, to relieve the need for an appointment

-an alert section that gives warnings regarding which symptoms or combination of symptoms cannot wait for the next day’s doctor appointment, they must be addressed at Urgent Care

Online symptom checkers are one resource of many to allow us to put our symptoms in perspective and if it makes sense, see the doctor. Of course, the alarmist will always overreact and create their own anxiety by what they believe is happening. An online symptom checker is a great resource when used wisely. It’s impossible, though, to stop anyone from using it to feed their fear.

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