Bupa, the health insurance company behind MBF, HBA and Mutual Community here in Australia, recently conducted a survey across 12 countries around using the net for self-diagnosis. Turns out us Aussies like to take trips to Dr. Google to find out what ails us…
According to the study, nearly 80% of Australians have taken a trip to Dr Google, and almost half of those were to look up information for self diagnosis, while 70% use Google to research medicines.
Bupa is a little bit concerned about this trend – as they would be – because results from searching symptoms can vary greatly. Pins and needles, for example, can be a symptom for both a Vitamin B12 deficiency or Multiple Sclerosis. Only a slight difference between those ones…
The study also asked about utilising online resources for medical diagnosis and treatment, and found that 61% of Australians surveyed were supportive of a secure website where they could access their medical records and test results online.
Ultimately though, it’s just important to understand that like anything on the internet, not all online diagnoses are created equal…