Dr. Google is often on call for worried patients, but it may not give the best advice.
Doctors say internet searches for medical information should be done cautiously, especially with artificial intelligence playing a growing role.
Information from the right websites can teach patients about symptoms and prepare them for a doctor’s visit. But a poorly done search might inflame anxiety well before someone reaches the waiting room. It’s important to know the source of the information you find and to avoid trying to diagnose your health issue.
Here are questions to keep in mind if you seek medical help online.
What’s your source?
When you do a search, don’t automatically click the first link. It may not contain the best answers.
Some companies pay to have their websites listed at the top of a results page. Those links may be listed as sponsored.
Scroll for results that come from a source you can trust for medical information. That can include big health systems like the Mayo Clinic or sites run by government agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“We’ve gotten so used to clicking on that first link,” says John Grohol, a psychologist who specializes in online behavior. “For your health information, especially when it is personal, you want to think about it.”
Should I use AI?
That depends on what it tells you.
More people are using artificial intelligence to get quick answers pulled from a variety of internet sources. Some searches also will generate an AI summary at the top of the results page.
But an AI answer may not say where it got the information. That makes it hard to judge credibility.
AI also can be prone to “ hallucinations,” an industry term for issues that cause the technology to make stuff up. Be especially wary of this if no source is cited.
What should I ask?
How you phrase a question plays a big role in the results you see. Doctors say patients should search for information based on symptoms, not an expected diagnosis.
“You’ve got to ask at the very beginning the right questions,” said Dr. Eric Boose of the Cleveland Clinic.
That means asking, “What could cause a lump to form under my skin?” instead of “Is the lump under my skin cancer?”
Focusing on a diagnosis means you may miss other explanations, especially if you just click the first few links listed in the results.
For some issues, you should skip the search altogether. If you are having chest pains, experiencing dizziness of showing signs of a stroke, seek help immediately.
“You don’t want to delay something that should be treated within a certain amount of time,” said Dr. Olivier Gherardi, medical director of Brown University Health Urgent Care.
Can the internet diagnose a problem?
No. Leave that to the real doctors who are trained to ask questions that lead to a diagnosis.
Blood in your urine could mean cancer. It also might be caused by kidney stones or an infection.
Unexplained weight loss also could be a sign of cancer. Or it could reflect an overactive thyroid or a new job that causes you to move around more.
Some testing and a visit with a doctor who knows your medical history may be the best medicine in these situations.
“There are a lot of symptoms that overlap between minor conditions and major medical problems,” said Dr. Sarah Sams, a board member with the American Academy of Family Physicians.
____
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
