A2K Internet health advice can bring on 'cyberchondria'

Link : http://uk.news.yahoo.com/041003/323/f3tvl.html


LONDON (AFP) - Browsing medical sites on the Internet can bring on a condition dubbed "cyberchondria", in which patients diagnose themselves incorrectly and seek treatment they do not need, a British study said.

Reseachers from the University of Derby spent 18 months browsing Internet health sites which offer advice on the common symptoms and treatment of a huge range of illnesses, from colds to cancer.

They found that misleading or vague advice could easily lead people to incorrectly diagnose their symptoms.

"We found that people using these sites can take on board medical advice which is incorrect -- an obvious concern," said Dr Neil Coulson, who led the research team.

"Indeed, the health profession has coined the phrase 'cyberchondria' for people using the Internet for self diagnosis and presenting this misinformation to their GP (general practitioner)."

The study found that while most sites linked to societies, charities or professional bodies gave sound advice, those run by individuals could include glaring inaccuracies.