About almost every consultation with a doctor now starts with "Doc, I read in the internet that..." or "According to this website, I have the symptoms of..."
Suddenly, everyone's a doctor. It's just a matter of getting a second opinion from a human with a degree in medicine now. Or for some, the internet is the second opinion.
I won't lie; I'm definitely guilty of this. In fact, I like to start conversations with doctors this way- whether it be about nutrition, exercise, diseases, or the never ending debate over the infamous egg yolk.
It just makes me wonder though- has the internet significantly reduced patient-doctor visits or has the internet actually increased the frequency? I see no middle ground because the internet, acting as catalyst, has achieved either self-reliance, self-paranoia, or both. Is there no reason to see the doctor now because of the wealth of information the internet provides? Or is there an increased need after we nod site after site about the symptoms we think we have?
-Leo Rafael L. Quesada, Entry #4
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