To be Dr. Google or not to be Dr. Google, that is the question

The internet is an almost inexhaustible source of endless knowledge. Information of all kinds is conveniently accessible there. Thus, people often search for answers regarding their own symptoms, diagnoses, or information about medications. Since search engines like Google are usually used for this purpose, the phrase "ask Dr. Google" has become common. Just as familiar as this catchphrase should be a healthy skepticism towards the "diagnoses" or information obtained in this way. Unfortunately, alongside the serious information, there are at least as many false claims circulating on the worldwide web.

Confusion on the Internet through Dr. Google

Especially regarding health information, seemingly harmless search queries can lead to partly dangerous half-truths and self-diagnoses. The more vague the search query is, the more likely this is. Additionally, serious answers do not necessarily have to be the first hits on the list.

How accurate are the results obtained?

A German-Russian team researched how well Google and the Russian search engine Yandex can answer health-related questions. They identified 30 common search queries about diseases and remedies and evaluated the top ten results from Yandex and Google. The so-called snippets displayed for the top ten results were crucial. A snippet is the small text part that is shown as a preview for the respective results.
These previews could be interpreted by the inquirer as a final answer.

The result of the analysis was sobering. About 44% of the displayed results on Yandex and about one-third on Google confirmed falsehoods and provided simply incorrect statements. Furthermore, the lack of warnings about potentially toxic substances was criticized. These could only be found in 13% and 10% of the results, respectively.

What is cyberchondria?

Another study examined the influence that searching the internet for a specific symptom has on the seeker. For this, 79 students were asked about a personal symptom and then tasked with researching it online for a short time - five minutes. After the research, the participants were unanimously more concerned about the described symptom than before the research.

This very effect even has a name: It is referred to as cyberchondria - derived from hypochondria, which denotes the exaggerated fear of being ill or becoming ill, and cyber for 'related to the internet'. Cyberchondria thus refers to the increased concern for one's health due to the information found on the internet regarding the searched complaints, diagnoses, medications, etc.

What lies behind internet research on complaints, medications, or diseases?

Often, people search the internet for relevant complaints before a doctor's visit or look up the diagnoses or prescribed medications after the visit. There is, in a way, a desire for a second (or even third, fourth, fifth...) opinion behind this.

Tips

Both are very understandable. However, those who consult Dr. Google should check the credibility of what they find there. Was the search query posed precisely and specifically? Are the results for the initiated search credible? The best answers to the posed question do not necessarily come from the first displayed results. A look at the imprint, the cited sources, and the last update of the information helps to assess credibility. Caution is especially warranted with results from internet forums. Often, there is little validated information found here. One should examine these carefully and not disregard common sense.

A very good alternative to internet research is offered by many health insurance companies, providing the opportunity to chat with a real doctor and obtain information about complaints, diagnoses, medications, or simply a second opinion.

And what about TikTok?
A professional article dealt with health information on the internet platform TikTok. Users receive short videos based on their usage behavior, which the algorithm deems appropriate. This includes films with information on health topics. However, the quality of this information varies greatly. Everything from very good contributions with a high truth content to simply false statements can be included. Therefore, a healthy skepticism is also advisable here, and not every statement should be taken at face value.

What about Artificial Intelligence (AI)?

In medical research, there is also increasing investigation into how large language models (LLMs) can be used to answer medical questions from end users. These models, including ChatGPT, show promising approaches but also clear limitations. Answers should always be verified additionally, as the technology tends to "hallucinate." This means that fabricated facts are presented.

Sources:

https://www.tk.de/techniker/magazin/digitale-gesundheit/spezial/gesundheitskompetenz/dr-google-richtig-nutzen-2103004
https://www.daag.de/dr-google-die-gefahren-einer-recherche-nach-krankheitssymptomen-online/
https://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

https://www.pharmazeutische-zeitung.de/wie-gut-ist-tiktok-als-gesundheitsberater-146752/

By Sabine Croci. This article is medically reviewed. Last updated (06/2024).
Information on the website and within the app cannot replace a consultation with a doctor, but can certainly complement it.

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