Calling Dr. Google! Calling Dr. Google! That’s what most of us do when we’re worried about a symptom. But is it a good idea to diagnose yourself? Probably not as bad as you think, but you do need to take some precautions.
You shouldn’t feel guilty about your visits to Dr. Google. Even the pros do it. Matthew Adkins is a family practice physician and member of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) board of directors. He freely admits that when he himself has a new symptom, he often checks Google before pulling out the medical textbooks.
“It’s easier for all of us,” he says. The advantage Adkins has over the rest of us, though, is that he knows where to look and is able to interpret what he finds and put it in context. Doctors can do this not only because they’ve had years of training but because they’ve had lots of experience, too. Without that training and experience, it’s easy to be misled by well-meaning and even reputable websites.
