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Filed under: Opinions
My six-year-old had a high fever on Thursday, no other symptoms ... the kind of bug I hate. When it's a cold or a stomach flu, at least I know what we're getting into. Fever with no symptoms is a troubling mystery. Two days after her fever broke, she was still complaining of joint pain so I went off to consult Dr. Google.
After five minutes of reading about rheumatic fever and Lyme disease, I closed my laptop with a shudder. (She's fine, by the way.)
In so many ways the Internet makes us better patients and better partners in our children's health care (and in our own, as well). I mean, knowledge is power, right? I've impressed our pediatrician more than once with my comprehension of basic childhood healthcare, but I've annoyed her too. (Especially that time I had to correct her dosing on a prescription ... whoo boy.)
But while the Internet is chock full of advice, not all of it is good. In fact, says pediatrician Dr. Robert Nohle, Googling symptoms can "be a gamble."
The problem is that on the Internet, everyone is an expert, and it's hard to sort the factual from the sensational. According to Dr. Nohle, three quarters of patients who used the Internet to research their health condition didn't confirm that the information was actually correct or from a reliable source. Chat rooms and forums can be an invaluable source of advice and support for parents, but the people who run them are just that ... parents, not doctors. And they shouldn't be handing out medical advice.
Dr. Nohle suggests three ways parents can use the Internet appropriately when they're concerned about their child's health:
After five minutes of reading about rheumatic fever and Lyme disease, I closed my laptop with a shudder. (She's fine, by the way.)
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In so many ways the Internet makes us better patients and better partners in our children's health care (and in our own, as well). I mean, knowledge is power, right? I've impressed our pediatrician more than once with my comprehension of basic childhood healthcare, but I've annoyed her too. (Especially that time I had to correct her dosing on a prescription ... whoo boy.)
But while the Internet is chock full of advice, not all of it is good. In fact, says pediatrician Dr. Robert Nohle, Googling symptoms can "be a gamble."
The problem is that on the Internet, everyone is an expert, and it's hard to sort the factual from the sensational. According to Dr. Nohle, three quarters of patients who used the Internet to research their health condition didn't confirm that the information was actually correct or from a reliable source. Chat rooms and forums can be an invaluable source of advice and support for parents, but the people who run them are just that ... parents, not doctors. And they shouldn't be handing out medical advice.Dr. Nohle suggests three ways parents can use the Internet appropriately when they're concerned about their child's health:
- Take the information to your pediatrician so you can discuss it together.
- Ask your pediatrician or doctor to recommend good sites, or stick to those that end in .gov or .org.
- Join a reputable online support group if the health condition is on-going.
| I don't always trust my doctor's judgement. | |
|---|---|
| To try and figure out if I need to see a doctor in the first place. | |
| To get as much information as I can about my child's health. | |
| I'll tell you in comments. |
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
3-11-2009 @ 2:15PM
Ellen from MindBites.com said...I agree to a point that too much information can be overwhelming; however, I also think that sometimes you can find out great information while you are waiting to get in to see the doctor. For example, I found some great information on Strep Throat when my entire family suddenly came down with it and I ended up going to the doctor sooner than I normally would because of what I read online. It was great to get started on antibiotics right away.
Also, I have seen some amazing instructional videos online re: homeopathic remedies for cold and flu. Here is one that tells you how to address full blown flu symptoms http://www.mindbites.com/lesson/269-addressing-full-blown-flu-symptoms and there are other ones that tell you how to prevent.
Another good resource is DadLabs, they have a ton of scoop on babies, pregnancy, toddlers- here is one on immunizations that is goo http://www.mindbites.com/lesson/726-dadlabs-what-dads-should-know-about-immunizations
I guess afer thinking about it, my vote is that I am glad that I have the internet for research, even if sometimes it makes me paranoid.
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3-11-2009 @ 3:21PM
tammy said...i love what the internet has done to help me concerning my childrens health. i always consult google to look up symptoms of something before i call the doctor. i do make sure i do lots of research on something too, before i decide what's best to do. i don't just look at one website, i look at several...and generally speaking, i get an idea of what to do, not to do, how to treat, when to call the dr., when it's ok to wait..etc. i have learned so much about the human body and illnesses...and i feel as though it's all accurate. again, i stress the importance of thorough research, and looking a lots of websites and information, before making a medical decision. i certainly don't feel as though it's any more or less accurate than even some doctors can be. there are "old school" doctors that aren't up to date on current medical facts, and some that are. i personally love our pediatrician and trust his judgment completely. but, with 4 kids, i can't afford to go to the dr. every time someone sneezes. being able to research things on the internet, puts my mind at ease and actually..RELIEVES any paranoia that i would have had being less informed and leaving it up to my dr. to decide. i has been helpful in getting my kids to the dr. faster when i wouldn't have known otherwise, but at the same time, avoiding the dr. when it's not necessary to panic about something or see the dr. with as many medical mistakes and misdiagnosis that happens, i say, why wouldn't someone use the internet to educate themselves a little about what to do? if you are careful, and not just taking one websites advice...it really can be helpful and educational. just use common sense when searching and considering information.
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3-12-2009 @ 12:31PM
Secret Mommy said...My husband googles EVERYTHING! It drives me crazy. I do like looking some stuff up now and then, or I like it when he looks something up sometimes, but for a while there he was questioning everything I was doing because he could find SOMEWHERE on the internet that someone was doing something differently.
I feel like (for me, obviously) I would rather follow my instincts taking care of my son if he isn't very sick (i.e., a common cold or some teething fever or something) and then if he seems sicker, I just get him in to the doctor or nurse. I appreciate being able to double check stuff online, but I don't consider it really a "resource."
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3-12-2009 @ 2:23PM
Dr. Charles Martin said...You hit the nail on the head about Internet research of symptoms. It's important to be a discriminating reader of online medical and dental advice. There's a lot of useful and helpful information available, but you also need input from your physician or dentist. Check the credentials of the authors of the sites you read and discuss the information you find with our physician or your dentist to make sure you're getting the proper treatment for what ails you or you family member. On my Web site I provide information focused on dental patients who have diabetes. To learn more about the links between dental health and diabetes, check out my blog at www.dentistryfordiabetics.com.
Charles Martin, DDS
Founder, Dentistry for Diabetics
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