Nobody likes going to the doctor, which is why many patients dream of being able to be diagnos without leaving home. This possibility is already, to a certain extent, a reality thanks to the Internet, which allows online medical diagnosis of symptoms . Let’s see what it is and how advanced it is.
Online medical diagnostic tools are based on the use of questionnaires about the patient’s symptoms. Based on your answers, the software will offer a more or less concrete diagnosis.
Currently there are many websites that offer this type of applications. In fact, the online medical diagnosis search offers more than two million results.
What is online medical diagnosis
Then there are other less automated forms of online diagnosis , such as the exchange of messages between patient and doctor through a messaging platform. Here communication can be in real time or delayed.
For now, these tools are cell phone leads only a guide and their conclusions must be confirm by a professional in a medical consultation.
Many medical professionals have warn about the dangers of online diagnosis. Incorrect or non-specific diagnoses or the fact that patients stick to what they read online without seeing a specialist are cited as the most worrying disadvantages.
Why do people go to the Internet to find solutions to their medical problems?
We said it at the beginning, no one likes going to the doctor. But when patients are asked why they prefer to go to Google rather than a specialist, the main reasons are usually laziness, embarrassment or nervousness people who want an answer as soon as possible.
The problem of online diagnosis
Present and future
The technology giants seem committed to improving the quality of medical information that Internet users receive. Google is already carrying out a series of measures, such as a symptom query system from the mobile phone or a medical questionnaire for people seeking information related to depression. These initiatives are already available in the United States and will soon reach the rest of the world.
In Spain we have also seen initiatives aimed at taking advantage of the opportunities offered by the Internet. Recently the Official College of Physicians of Burgos opened a telematic consultation service to resolve patient doubts.
It seems that in the future, online diagnosis will have the support of Health Systems to improve its effectiveness. And you, what do you Book Your List think of online medical diagnosis of symptoms? Leave us your impressions in the comments.
