A majority of Germans asks for diseases Dr. Google

Guidebook for medical questions: Germans are looking for "Dr. Google "
What could the stinging abdominal pain indicate? Which home remedy for constipation is the best? What is cystic fibrosis? For questions like this, most Germans turn to "Dr. Google ". This is also shown by a recent survey commissioned by the Kaufmännische Krankenkasse.

First point of contact for health research
For many people, "Dr. Google "usually the first port of call in the health research. This is also shown by a current forsa survey commissioned by KKH Kaufmännische Krankenkasse. According to this, 73 percent of Germans have already searched the Internet for information on a disease or for symptoms, course or treatment options.

As a recent survey shows, around three quarters of Germans use the Internet for health research. "Dr. Google "can not replace a doctor. (Image: lovegtr35 / fotolia.com)

Critically deal with information
This is problematic if users are not critical enough when looking at the Internet to deal with the information. Experts repeatedly warn against self-diagnoses on the Internet in this context. According to experts, one should never google for diseases Googling on only one source. In addition, the search results should normally be considered merely as a supplement to the professional advice of the physician.

Satisfied with research results
Ivonne Marx from the KKH service team in Bonn said in a statement from the health insurance fund: "Many people are obviously very interested in acquiring some medical knowledge on the internet as a layman." Most respondents are satisfied with the results of their research. For example, 76 percent find it helpful to find the information they are looking for.

You can easily become a hypochondriac
However, despite these experiences, many respondents were generally skeptical about information about diseases on the Internet. Of the 1,015 people surveyed between the ages of 18 and 70, 77 percent believe that lay people are rather insecure due to the many information about diseases on the Internet. 62 percent fear that it would easily become a hypochondriac, if you research the Internet long enough to diseases.

Do not constantly click through horror messages
"Reputable sources on the Internet do not replace the doctor, but can be a first port of call," said Marx. "It is important to limit yourself to a few professional pages and not to spend hours clicking through subjective forum posts and horror messages." (Ad)