A runny nose, a cough, and congestion are all symptoms of both the common cold and the flu. Although these two illnesses share common symptoms, they require different methods of treatment. When first experiencing symptoms, one’s immediate response is usually to try and use online symptom checkers to self-diagnose. In some instances, one could misdiagnose one’s symptoms, which could have serious consequences; however, in other instances, self-diagnosis can be a useful tool in deciding whether or not one should seek professional medical help. In either case, the most common tools for self-diagnosis are online symptom checkers, such as WebMD and the Mayo Clinic symptom checker. Therefore, technology plays a key role in the process of self-diagnosis.

     Although self-diagnosis can be dangerous, it can actually be a useful tool when used appropriately. One example of this is when it is used to determine whether or not one should seek professional medical help. For instance, Greg Miller, Director of Technology, believes, “On one side, self diagnosis is sketchy because it is a self-fulfilling prophecy; however, by the same token, I’m not going to ignore it if my kid has a fever. Self-diagnosis is all about being realistic.” Another positive aspect of online symptom checkers is that it allows patients to play a bigger role in their health care. Instead of ignoring symptoms, patients who attempt to self-diagnose are being proactive. This is beneficial because patients can use self diagnosis tools to educate themselves about their symptoms, and then share this information with a doctor for a more accurate analysis and diagnosis. One student, Drew Pittenger ’16 shares his experience with using the internet to diagnose his symptoms. Drew explains, “while I was with Noah Landis, I was knocked unconscious by a door. I looked up my symptoms online and learned I was at risk for a concussion, so I went to see a doctor.” This is just one example of how online symptom checkers can be used by patients to diagnose injuries and illnesses that could become dangerous if not acted upon quickly. Therefore, the key to using self-diagnosis is to use it as a tool to promote a better relationship between doctors and patients. When patients are able to have an active role in their health care and they feel that their doctors listen to them, patients are more likely to trust their doctor. Not only does this benefit the patient, but having a patient who is educated about symptoms makes the job of the doctor a little easier.

     On the other hand, diagnosing one’s symptoms without the aid of a doctor or other healthcare provider proves to be hazardous, and in some cases fatal.  When asked about the dangers of self-diagnosis, Louisa Spinner ’19 replies, “It’s dangerous because we are not professionals and we don’t know the real things that can happen. We tend to freak out and do the worst possible thing. You are lying to yourself and your body by not seeing an actual doctor.” The use of symptom checkers, which tends to lead people to stay at home rather than seek the appropriate medical care elsewhere, undermines the role of the doctor, and in doing so, negatively affects the relationship that the patient has with his or her physician. Also, by only relying on information from websites, one cannot be diagnosed properly. According to Doctor Srini Pillay, founder and CEO of NeuroBusiness Group, “When you self-diagnose, you are essentially assuming that you know the subtleties that diagnosis constitutes. This can be very dangerous, as people who assume that they can surmise what is going on with themselves may miss the nuances of diagnosis… Here, the danger is that you may misdirect the clinician or even yourself.” In addition to being the tool used to create the divide between one and his or her healthcare provider, symptom checkers allow one to continue to be in a state of denial about one’s symptoms. Oftentimes one may ignore potentially serious or even fatal symptoms because they may not seem important to him or her at that time.

     On the whole, the use of online platforms that provide a range of healthcare tasks is to diagnose symptoms in the place of a physician or healthcare provider. By accessing the internet, a sick or injured person can save the time and money it would take to make an appointment to see a doctor, and draw his or her own conclusions that are not supported by a professional. Although there are some benefits to using this device, there are also its share of negative repercussions. Ateev Mehrotra, the associate professor of health care policy and medicine at HMS and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, states: “These tools may be useful in patients who are trying to decide whether they should get to a doctor quickly, but in many cases, users should be cautious and not take the information they receive from online symptom checkers as gospel.” While self-diagnosis allows patients the opportunity to be more active with their health care, the practice the of self-diagnosis can either belittle or overexaggerate the symptoms of the patients, both of which can be damaging to one’s health. It is unlikely that self-diagnosis will ever disappear; however, the safest way to diagnose one’s symptoms is to vist a professional.