Turning to the Internet for medical advice
actually can make you sicker, warns a recent study conducted by
researchers at the University College London.
The report, published online in October at Cochrane
Collaboration (
www.cochrane.org), found that sufferers of chronic
diseases, including asthma, cancer and diabetes, said their
symptoms worsened rather than improved after they sought guidance
on the web.
According to the study, which combined the findings of 28
previous surveys of a total of 4,042 patients with ongoing
illnesses, people who consult web-based health programs become so
information-laden that they often make their own treatment
decisions, which can be contrary to their doctor’s advice or
otherwise sound medical practice.
While knowledge is good, says the study, too much can be a bad
thing. In one web search for the term “vaccination,” for example,
43 percent of leads led researchers to sites advising against
injections.