We just can’t help ourselves. We schedule an appointment with the doctor, but go online to search our symptoms.
You’d think that the information we learn will help us to more meaningfully participate with our doctors, but it’s just the opposite. We’re likely to have less trust in our physicians if we try to diagnose ourselves.
What’s the danger? Well, there’s information and then, there’s using the information as part of the reasoning process, called differential diagnosis, to reach a conclusion about the disease or disorder impacting you.
The internet cannot do it. I
t’s my experience that doctors don’t like it when you tell them what you’ve learned from online resources, but do it anyway.
Ask them to explain their reasons for the diagnosis so you can have confidence in the treatment and learn from the experience. If you don’t, you may end up delaying treatment while you get a second opinion.
Be a collaborative part of your own medical team.
Claudia
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