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Is using the Net for medical information beneficial or detrimental?

When 46-year-old Lakshmi returns home from a visit to the doctor, she heads straight for her computer to check on the side effects of the drugs prescribed. And when her father was to have a minor surgery a few years ago, she read all about the procedure online even before their initial consultation with his surgeon.

Beena and Shalan are first-time parents, and the Internet has been their constant companion from the time Beena was trying to conceive, right through her pregnancy and all of 10-month-old baby Cyrus's coughs and colds, sleeping problems and recent teething issues.

There are millions of people like Lakshmi, Beena and Shalan all over the world. In fact, recent research in the U.S. has shown that looking up medical information online, especially on behalf of one's family members, is one of the most common forms of Internet usage. "Apart from checking email, looking up medical information is mainly what I use the Internet for," says Lakshmi.

The Internet is a vast storehouse of information on anything and everything, but what makes medical information different is that people use what they read to make often critical decisions affecting the health of themselves and their loved ones, and using the Internet for this purpose can be beneficial or detrimental, a source of increased confidence or of increased anxiety depending on how one uses the information.

Empowers patients

There's no doubt that access to all the information on the Internet serves to empower patients in their interactions with their doctors. Shalan, a software engineer, always researches the illness thoroughly before he sees a doctor. "I like to be prepared so that I know exactly what questions to ask," he says. Lakshmi agrees, and adds, "It gives me a little more confidence when talking to the doctor about my options." In addition, the web can be a valuable resource on the latest innovations or medications available. For example, it was through the Internet that Beena and Shalan found out about a cooling gel to ease Cyrus's teething discomfort, and about nerve-block pain treatment for Shalan's mother when she was suffering from cancer. What this means is the doctor is often put on the spot, and that, says Dr. N. Rajagopal, a cardiologist and diabetes specialist, is not always a bad thing. "In a way, patients or their relatives asking all these questions is good, as it forces us doctors to update our knowledge," he says. "Doctors can't afford to live in the past." Indeed, Dr. Rajagopal himself uses the Internet to learn more about the latest medications and treatments from around the world, and even directs his patients to some websites, especially for rarer disorders.

This empowerment also means that patients turn to the Internet for further information or options when they're dissatisfied with their doctor's suggestions. "People frequently send us queries because they were not getting satisfactory responses from their doctor," says Dr. Sumanth C. Raman, who oversees the TCS health portal webhealthcentre.com. With a registered user base of 50,000, the website sees an equal number of men and women in their late twenties, thirties and forties logging on for information on cardiology, oncology, psychiatry, orthopaedics and even dermatology. "People have become more savvy, and often want to crosscheck their doctor's recommendation," he says.

However, research has found that the sheer volume of information on the Internet can be bewildering, and that people don't always check for the validity of the information they find. Most users begin with a search engine like Google, and have to sift through the millions of results that they are given. Both Dr. Rajagopal and Dr. Sumanth recount incidences when patients have come to them, terrified after reading about a frightening but unlikely or inaccurate outcome of whatever disorder they (or their loved ones) are suffering from.

"Make sure the website is from a credible source such as a reputed hospital or well-recognised medical association," recommends Dr. Sumanth. "And make sure you're reading valid, current literature." The opposite can also be true, when patients find a `miracle cure' online for a chronic or life-threatening condition. In general, Dr. Rajagopal suggests that you stay wary of any site that promises full recovery through some new treatment. "It is best to bring it to the notice of and discuss it with your primary care physician," he says. The democratic nature of the Internet, which means anyone can add information to it, is both its greatest strength and its greatest weakness. It can provide you with information that your doctor may not be aware of, and help tremendously. But when it comes to your health or that of your family, make sure you take the time to evaluate the legitimacy of the information you find before acting on it.

DIVYA KUMAR

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