Do you visit the doctor or prefer to self diagnose?
It seems we’re becoming more reliant than ever on the internet, so much so, two thirds of Brits now admit to surfing for symptoms and analysing ailments online before consulting a health professional.
Yet while a quarter of Brits claim they’re concerned with diagnosing a health worry, many could be putting themselves at risk by lying to their nurse or doctor during a health consultation.
A recent study by the UK’s leading health information website, Patient.co.uk, unveiled the health habits of the nation and found that a staggering 7.3m Brits have lied to their clinician. What’s more, it appears we’re most likely to talk to our nearest and dearest (34 per cent) or turn to Google to check our symptoms online (26 per cent), rather than going to the doctors (13 per cent).
Patient.co.uk revealed its Health of the Nation report to mark the launch of the new MyHealthtool, a free-to use, clinically proven web tool which provides tailored advice to help individuals improve their health.
Commenting on the findings, Dr Sarah Jarvis, clinical consultant at Patient.co.uk commented: ‘‘It’s not surprising that we’re becoming increasingly concerned about our health and our study found that over half of respondents (53 per cent) are motivated to be healthier as a result of a health scare.
“Despite this, our study has found that we aren’t always as truthful as we should be with the medical profession. Of those that have lied to their nurse or doctor, just over a third do so to avoid embarrassment (32 per cent), almost a quarter (23 per cent) are concerned about the outcome of their diagnosis and some even admit to being scared of getting told off for their poor lifestyle habits such as smoking and drinking.
“With the wealth of information easily available online, it’s no wonder that it’s more convenient to turn to the web, however it’s important that people receive accurate and appropriate advice so they can take action early if needed.”
“I would always encourage people to seek advice from trusted sources, whether that be a GP, health professional or a clinically-backed website, so that patients can be confident that they are receiving the correct information.”
Dr Sarah Jarvis continued: “Although not a substitute for a visit to your GP or nurse, Patient.co.uk is a useful resource which offers more than 2,000 pages of advice, validated by The Department for Health** which also helps signpost consumers to their local healthcare services.”
“With many Brits admitting they are concerned with keeping fit, losing weight and leading a healthy lifestyle, the brand new MyHealth tool is the perfect helping hand to offer clear advice and information to support people to begin addressing their health concerns early.’’
The MyHealth tool can be used online at http://myhealth.patient.co.uk - the 15 minute questionnaire plots a user in a health ‘Q’ and provides a tailored 12 week programme for the individual.
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