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Internet is good for health

 
, medical expert
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
 
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26 October 2012, 09:00

Researchers from the University College of London recommend before going to the doctor to arm themselves with knowledge from the Internet. This will help the doctor to diagnose correctly and quickly identify the cause of the problem that worries the patient.

According to the latest research of specialists, people who carefully treat their symptoms and compare them with information from the worldwide network, can help the doctor identify the disease faster.

Employees from the University College of London interviewed 26 people of different ages and asked why they seek Internet advice and how much information they receive helps them solve the problem.

According to the results of the research published in the journal "British Journal of General Practice", many people go to see a doctor already shaved with a huge amount of information on the subject they are interested in and interact with the doctor, helping him to determine what is causing the illness for them. And some patients who also applied for help to the Internet, come to the doctor, but do not say a word about independent investigations into the origin of their symptoms. They are worried that the doctor may take offense at the fact that an unskilled person tries to try on the duties of a doctor.

Scientists advise not to be afraid, but to worry about their health and before visiting a doctor, "google" their symptoms on the Internet. Of course, in the vast expanses of the global network there is a lot of unnecessary, incorrect and unnecessary information, but if you do not resort to self-treatment, but to consult a qualified specialist and discuss your guesses with him, this can only help in solving the problem and its quick elimination.

"It is very gratifying to see patients who are directly involved in the treatment process. This means that a person values his life and takes care of his health. It would be wrong to ignore the efforts of patients. The main thing is to consult a doctor, and in no case to take any actions recommended on the forums yourself, "the study authors say.

trusted-source[1], [2], [3], [4], [5],

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