The Dangers of Medical Home Care in the Internet Age by Prospero Pulma Jr.

Philippine Panorama, Sunday November 29, 2009

The Dangers of Medical Home Care in the Internet Age

By Prospero Pulma Jr.


Before computers and the internet became common, families had medical encyclopedias that taught them in easy-to-understand language the nature of diseases and home remedies for common ailments. Access to detailed medical literature written in plain terms was limited then, so there was little risk of people treating themselves for complicated health conditions. However, the World Wide Web has made medical home care just a few keystrokes and clicks of the mouse away.

In this age of Google and Yahoo, the internet savvy patient might complement his visit to the doctor with browsing online resources since consultation time is limited and cannot cover everything. Someone with a laptop can research on his condition while waiting for his clinic appointment. Today’s patient can now double-check the information that his physician had told him through the internet.

Searching the internet for medical information is healthy when used only as a learning tool because online sources can give a layperson an advanced knowledge of medicine. It becomes hazardous when an ill person decides not to visit his physician at all and just rely on his research skills to find possible clues, or worse a cure, for his malady. This is where the real danger lies as not all illnesses are textbook perfect and some diseases behave similarly, fooling even competent healthcare professionals. Even physicians, after thoroughly examining a patient, running several tests, and making a couple of referrals, can still err in their diagnosis.

The millions of healthcare-related websites published in different languages will not disappoint someone who turns to the internet for medical information. Some are simply the online edition of renowned medical journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine. Others offer a long list of pharmaceutical products and medical and surgical instruments. However, the sites that contain medical care information are the most tempting for the layman to browse. The ones established by prestigious medical institutions or organizations are usually filled with medical gobbledygook for healthcare professionals and they are less popular than the patient-friendly websites that painstakingly translate doctors’ jargon into lay language.

Regardless of these websites’ contents, most emphasize that a proper consultation is still important, advice that its nonprofessional users should take seriously. The information on their sites is only for educational purposes and patients should only use their content for guidance. There is still no substitute for a clinic visit. Playing doctor by trawling the internet for a cure can be worse than not seeking medical help.