Be wary of using online advice only for your health
Posted 09-18-2015 at 07:39 AM by DavidRaonic
When it comes to our health, is it possible to suffer from TMI – too much information?
About two-thirds of Canadians who are online use the web to search for health information. And almost 20% of smartphone users have at least one health-related app. Health and fitness represents the fast-growing app category.
This explosion of health care information can be valuable for Canadians who want to take care of themselves. Yet there are downsides, like separating good information from the bad online, and the danger of self-diagnosis. Some people rely on their own findings and forego seeing a health care professional altogether.
“It's important to be an active participant in your health, which can include researching for reputable information about conditions, treatments and personal well-being. This should never replace the insight of a health care professional however,” says Marshall Moleschi, president of the Federation of Health Regulatory Colleges of Ontario (FHRCO).
In Ontario, 25 colleges regulate over 300,000 health care professionals. These bodies are required to act in the best interests of the public, and hold their member professionals accountable for their conduct and practice.
“If you do get information from other sources, these professionals use their skills, knowledge and judgment to decide when, if, and how to apply it,” Moleschi points out.
Here's a guideline for using online health care information to your best advantage:
• Do some research if desired before seeing a health care professional, to help you organize questions. Leave it to the professional to provide the answers and help you understand what you've accessed on your own.
• Don't rely exclusively on online information to make big choices about your health, or to decide between care or treatment options. As one Canadian health journal described, that information can be a goldmine or a minefield. Sometimes, online information is misleading or incomplete, and may not apply to your situation.
• Do ask a health care professional to recommend websites or apps, including ones from trusted sources (like hospitals, non-profit disease associations, and government bodies) that have objective information.
• Don't be afraid at your appointment to raise the information you found online. It is not a challenge to anyone's authority. In fact, it is commendable that patients and clients want to be informed health care consumers.
“Being well-informed,” says Moleschi, “and having discussions with a highly-trained health care professional, will help you make the best choices.”
About two-thirds of Canadians who are online use the web to search for health information. And almost 20% of smartphone users have at least one health-related app. Health and fitness represents the fast-growing app category.
This explosion of health care information can be valuable for Canadians who want to take care of themselves. Yet there are downsides, like separating good information from the bad online, and the danger of self-diagnosis. Some people rely on their own findings and forego seeing a health care professional altogether.
“It's important to be an active participant in your health, which can include researching for reputable information about conditions, treatments and personal well-being. This should never replace the insight of a health care professional however,” says Marshall Moleschi, president of the Federation of Health Regulatory Colleges of Ontario (FHRCO).
In Ontario, 25 colleges regulate over 300,000 health care professionals. These bodies are required to act in the best interests of the public, and hold their member professionals accountable for their conduct and practice.
“If you do get information from other sources, these professionals use their skills, knowledge and judgment to decide when, if, and how to apply it,” Moleschi points out.
Here's a guideline for using online health care information to your best advantage:
• Do some research if desired before seeing a health care professional, to help you organize questions. Leave it to the professional to provide the answers and help you understand what you've accessed on your own.
• Don't rely exclusively on online information to make big choices about your health, or to decide between care or treatment options. As one Canadian health journal described, that information can be a goldmine or a minefield. Sometimes, online information is misleading or incomplete, and may not apply to your situation.
• Do ask a health care professional to recommend websites or apps, including ones from trusted sources (like hospitals, non-profit disease associations, and government bodies) that have objective information.
• Don't be afraid at your appointment to raise the information you found online. It is not a challenge to anyone's authority. In fact, it is commendable that patients and clients want to be informed health care consumers.
“Being well-informed,” says Moleschi, “and having discussions with a highly-trained health care professional, will help you make the best choices.”
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