Do-it Yourself Doctoring (page 2 of 4)

Diagnosis Detectives

The Bateses are part of a booming trend. Increasingly, Americans are becoming their own doctors, by going online to diagnose their symptoms, order home health tests or medical devices, or even self-treat their illnesses with herbal or over-the-counter remedies or drugs from Internet pharmacies. Some avoid doctors because of the high cost of medical care, especially if they lack health insurance. Or they may stay away because they find it embarrassing to discuss their weight, smoking, alcohol consumption or couch potato habits. Patients may also fear what they might learn about their health, or they distrust physicians because of negative experiences in the past. But playing doctor can also be a deadly game.

Every day, more than six million Americans turn to the Internet for medical answers -- and most of them aren't nearly skeptical enough of what they find. A 2002 survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project found that 72 percent of those polled believe all or most of what they read on health websites. They shouldn't. Look up "slipped disc" or "sciatica," and the odds of finding reliable and complete information, free from bias or a motivation for commercial gain, are only one in ten, reports an April 2005 Brown Medical School study. Of the 169 websites the researchers rated, only 16 scored as "high quality." Recent studies found faulty facts about all sorts of other disorders, prompting one re-search team to warn that "incomplete, inaccurate and even dangerous information abounds in cyberspace."

The problem is most people don't know the safe way to surf the Web, says Sarah Bauerle Bass, PhD, principal investigator for a study funded by the National Cancer Institute and focusing on Internet use by newly diagnosed cancer patients. "They use a search engine like Google, get 18 trillion choices and start clicking. But that's hazardous, because literally anybody can put up a site that looks authoritative, so it's hard to know if what you're reading is legitimate or not." (See "Dig Deeper," page 113, for tips on medical Internet sites.)

• • National Health Care
• • Your Medical Care
• • Common Problems
• • Online Savvy

• Colon Cancer: Are You at Risk?
• A brief guide to the risk factors associated with colorectal cancer.
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• Colorectal Screening Tests: Pros and Cons
• Our colon cancer screening tests chart makes it easier for you to compare the most frequently used exams.
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• Questions You Must Ask Your Doctor
• The average doctor’s visit lasts only 10 minutes. Here’s how to be prepared.
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• How to Survive a Health Crisis or Chronic Illness
• When sickness enters a marriage remember your vows and support each other with communication and love.
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• Nearly Killed by Scleroderma
• The single mom from Texas was dying. But the procedure that could cure her could also kill her.
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“ Remember the golden equation for getting sick: Germ gets on hands, hands touch face, germ enters body, you get sick. ”

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• Quiz: What's Your Celebrity Cause IQ?

During the last days of my mother's life, we discussed many things. One day I raised the topic of her funeral and memorial service. "Oh, honey," she responded, "I really don't care about the details." Later she woke from a nap and grasped my hand, clearly wanting to share something with me. As I leaned forward, she said urgently, "Just don't bury me in plaid."

-- Diane Wilson