These days when people start feeling under the weather they’ll consult the Internet before the doctor, and that isn’t always a good thing.
A new survey finds:
- 65% of people have self-diagnosed themselves using the Internet.
- 43% of Americans have gone to the Internet to check their symptoms and convinced themselves they had a serious illness.
- 74% of people who self-diagnosed online said it made them worry more about their health.
- And it’s understandable people would worry, since respondents say the Internet’s medical advice is only reliable 40% of the time.
Luckily, for a lot of people, the Internet isn’t their first source for a diagnosis when feeling ill, with 51% saying their first move is to go to a health care professional. But the poll finds that 60% of people actively avoid going to the doctor for a variety of reasons, including:
- The cost of medical care (47%)
- The doctor not believing them when they discuss their symptoms (37%)
- Don’t have the time to go to an appointment (37%)
Source: SWNS Digital Image © 2019 GettyImages