Dr. Google or not Dr. Google, that is the question
The internet is an almost inexhaustible source of knowledge. Information of all kinds is easy to access there. People often look online for answers about their own symptoms, diagnoses, or medications. Because search engines like Google are usually used for this, the phrase "asking Dr. Google" has become common. As familiar as that phrase is, you should also keep a healthy skepticism toward any "diagnoses" or information you find there. Unfortunately, alongside reliable sources there are at least as many false claims circulating on the web.
How accurate are the search results?
A German-Russian team studied how well Google and the Russian search engine Yandex can answer health questions. They identified 30 common searches about illnesses and remedies and evaluated the top-ten results from Yandex and Google. They focused on the so-called snippets shown for the first ten results. A snippet is the short preview text displayed for each result.
These previews could be taken by the searcher as a final answer.
These previews could be taken by the searcher as a final answer.
The analysis was sobering. About 44% of Yandex results and about one third of Google results contained untruths or simply false statements. The study also criticized the lack of warnings about possibly toxic substances. Such warnings were found in only about 13% and 10% of the results, respectively.
What is cyberchondria?
Another study looked at the effect searching the internet for a specific symptom has on the searcher. 79 students were asked about a personal symptom and then instructed to research it online for a short time five minutes. After the search, the participants were consistently more worried about the described symptom than before the search.
This effect even has a name: cyberchondria modeled on hypochondria, which describes an excessive fear of being ill or becoming ill, and "cyber" referring to the internet. Cyberchondria means increased worry about your health because of information found online about the symptoms, diagnoses, medications, etc.
What lies behind searching the internet for symptoms, medications, or illnesses?
People often look up their symptoms online before a doctor's visit, or they check diagnoses or prescribed medications after seeing a doctor. In other words, it's often driven by a desire for a second (or third, fourth, fifth...) opinion.
Tips
Both are perfectly understandable. However, anyone who asks Dr. Google should check how reliable what they find is. Was the search query precise and specific? Are the results credible for the search you started? The best answers to your question aren't necessarily among the first results. Check the imprint/legal notice, the listed sources, and when the information was last updated to judge credibility. Be especially cautious with results from internet forums they often contain poorly validated information. Check them carefully and don't forget to use common sense.
A very good alternative to searching the web is offered by many health insurers, who let you chat with an actual doctor and get information about symptoms, diagnoses, medications, or simply a second opinion that way.
And what about TikTok?
A specialist article looked at the health information on the platform TikTok. Based on a user's behavior, the algorithm suggests short videos it thinks are relevant. That includes videos with health information. The quality of these videos varies widely from very good, accurate contributions to simply false statements. So it's wise to stay skeptical here too and not take every claim at face value.How about Artificial Intelligence (AI)?
In medical research, there is increasing study into how large language models (LLMs) can be used to answer medical questions for end users. These models, including ChatGPT, show promising approaches but also clear limits. Answers should always be double-checked, because the technology tends to "hallucinate" meaning it can present made-up facts.
Sources:
https://www.tk.de/techniker/magazin/digitale-gesundheit/spezial/gesundheitskompetenz/dr-google-richtig-nutzen-2103004https://healthcare-in-europe.com/de/news/dr-google-fragen-keine-gute-idee.html
https://www.aerzteblatt.de/nachrichten/128702/Suchmaschinen-liefern-bei-Gesundheitsanfragen-oft-fehlerhafte-Angaben
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3459637.3482141
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyberchondrie
https://www.netdoktor.de/krankheiten/hypochondrie/
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2816695
This article comes from BloodPressureDB – the leading app since 2011 that helps hundreds of thousands of people monitor their blood pressure every day.
Our content is based on carefully researched, evidence-based information and is continuously updated (as of 02/2026).
Author Sabine Croci is a certified medical assistant with many years of experience in internal medicine and cardiology practices as well as in outpatient care. Since 2015 she has led the editorial team at BloodPressureDB. With additional qualifications as a paramedic, first responder, and training in various therapy and emergency areas, she provides well-founded, practical, and reliably reviewed information.
Author Sabine Croci is a certified medical assistant with many years of experience in internal medicine and cardiology practices as well as in outpatient care. Since 2015 she has led the editorial team at BloodPressureDB. With additional qualifications as a paramedic, first responder, and training in various therapy and emergency areas, she provides well-founded, practical, and reliably reviewed information.
