Just ask Dr. Google - More and more patients seek help on the Internet

The majority are satisfied with the results of their own disease research on the Internet

More and more people who have disease symptoms or seek health information research themselves on the Internet. A recent German study concludes that more than half of the patients are satisfied with the knowledge they have found. The researchers were able to show a variety of reasons why patients "Dr. Google "ask. Often it is about preparing a doctor's appointment, comparing therapies or exchanging views with others. In addition to the sober facts about diseases, those concerned seek comfort and distraction.

Many Internet users are looking at "Dr. Google "apparently what the family doctor does not give them. In addition to expert advice, those affected also have other needs. The results of the study are based on detailed interviews carried out on behalf of the Bertelsmann Stiftung and supplemented by a representative survey by the survey institute Kantar Emnid. The results show that the majority of users are satisfied with the answers found on the Internet. The study also showed how patients use the internet for health research and what consequences this may have for the doctor-patient relationship.

According to a recent study, the majority of internet users are satisfied with their search results on disease topics. (Image: Romolo Tavani / fotolia.com)

There is great satisfaction in practice "Dr. Google "

Even if the motivation of the search may be different, there is strong agreement in the satisfaction, because according to the study results, 52 percent of the users are always satisfied with the information found and another 44 percent are still partially satisfied. Only two percent of information seekers said they were rarely satisfied. The category "always dissatisfied" was even empty at zero percent.

What are the users looking for on the net?

The interviews commissioned by Stiftung Bertelsmann revealed that patients frequently review medical recommendations and diagnoses. Also on treatment alternatives much research. Furthermore, victims are looking for like-minded people with whom they can communicate and from whom they expect emotional support. So, "Dr. Google "in addition to hard facts also a sense of security, reassurance and distraction.

The internet is a valued guidebook

"Unlike many claims, the Internet is a valued guidebook. Find patients what they are looking for, "reports Brigitte Mohn, member of the Bertelsmann Stiftung Executive Board, on the study results. "Dr. Google "is easy to contact, accessible anytime, anywhere, has unlimited time, and provides expert knowledge to lay people. In addition, there are long-range portals where seekers find information from solid to very good quality. This emerges from a 2017 created test of the magazine Ökotest.

How big is the danger to meet dubious providers?

"In order to protect patients from targeted false information, it is necessary to act consistently in the sense of a market watchdog function," says Mohn. So far, there are few concepts and responsibilities. The development of promising strategies is therefore a task that urgently needs to be addressed. At the moment, the reliance on self-researched information from the internet is considered controversial because of the risk of misinformation and dubious websites.

Doctors disagree about colleague Internet

According to the results of the survey, about 60 percent of doctors responded to the information researched by the patient. Forty percent pointed to good sources of information on the Web, but only a fifth of doctors would encourage their patients to inform themselves. 14 percent do not consider their own information gathering sensible and advise against it. "Patients should speak openly about information they have found themselves," advises Marion Grote-Westrick, health expert at the Bertelsmann Stiftung. Physicians and therapists should be able to recommend reliable websites or apps, according to Grote-Westrick. At present, about 30 percent of patients would conceal their doctor's self-researched information on the Internet.

What needs to be improved??

The Bertelsmann Stiftung experts explain approaches to making better use of health information in the internet for good treatment results. For example, the experts recommend that all stakeholders in the healthcare system should recognize the diversity of health information provided by the Internet. Electronic patient records could be used on the Internet in the future to provide health information to a patient. Furthermore, the experts advise the doctors to encourage their patients to inform themselves on the Internet and at best, doctors should know and recommend good sources of information. Thus, practical visits and hospital stays could be specifically prepared or followed up. The experts advise the patient to always talk openly with the doctor about their own research results. (Vb)