Cyberchondria?

     Recently in my Medical Anthropology class, we were discussing the different social roles in the practice of medicine. The two major roles are : the patient (sick) role and the physician role. This relationship is held by a complex power dynamic that consists of trust and authority between the two parties. Traditionally, the physicians are seen as the authority figurehead - they are technically skilled and know the workings of their jobs.The patients are seen to give their utmost trust to these physicians in order to find a cure for their ailments. In the modern day however, these roles seem to be falling out of social norms. Due to the development of websites like WebMD many people have begun to self diagnose symptoms causing them to believe their conditions to be far worse than what it actually is. 

     The concept of Cyberchondria stems from the trend of people to look up their symptoms on the Internet and mis-diagnose themselves. What could be a simple headache has been misinterpreted by people as a brain tumor. Researchers have looked into these searches over the Internet and "their examination of search records indicate[s] that researching particular symptoms often led quickly to anxiousness" (Markoff). Technological advancements has made it possible for an average person to look up information about their sickness and self-diagnose themselves although they do not have the authority and skills to do that. This anxious searching leads many people to follow "quack cures" which in some cases can cause more harm than good. 

     Using the Internet to learn about ones symptoms isn't a bad thing but the overuse of these resources harms both the doctors and the patients. Mike Stone, of the Patients Association says that, "[the Internet] is a double-edged sword. Unfortunately some patients have their expectations heightened because some websites offer drugs and treatments" (Cyberchondria). These drugs and treatments can be fake and can be used to extort money from unsuspecting patients. Professor Michael Kidd of  the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners says that, "the bane of a doctor's existence at the moment is someone who comes in with a whole folder of information that they've printed off the Internet, and it's happening to doctors everywhere" (Wallace). When patients come overloaded with information, they take a substantial portion of their visit with the doctors to decipher this Internet information. Instead of letting the doctors handle the session, patients can take over and start to worry about diseases they do not have.

     Being well informed in the modern day is a great tool. Learning about disease prevention methods and sanitary living can be the first step towards primary care. However, using the Internet to over diagnose oneself can only cause harm. We can cause reversals of social roles between the patients and doctors and create unnecessary stress. Technology and information are great in small doses but without the adequate skills to properly discern information, it is best to stay off of WebMD. Next time you feel dizzy or have a headache, it probably is just a headache and not a brain tumor. The best way to solve these problems is by visiting a doctor and not the Internet.

Works Cited:

"Cyberchondria Hits Web Users." BBC News. BBC, 13 Apr. 2001. Web. 13 Sept. 2014.
Markoff, John. "Medical Web Searches And Escalating Fears." The New York Times. The New York Times, 24 Nov. 2008. Web. 12 Sept. 2014.
Wallace, Natasha. "Doctor in the Mouse." N.p., 7 Sept. 2002. Web. 14 Sept. 2014.