This doctor says one-third of her patients self-diagnose using online research. She and others are warning of the risks
The psychiatrist said it's particularly common with ADHD, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
'I haven't been diagnosed yet,' Primeau recalled patients telling her, 'but I know I have it.'
Interactions like these are increasingly playing out in doctor offices across the province as more people use the internet — especially social media — for medical advice, Primeau and other medical professionals said Wednesday at a virtual media briefing by the Ontario Medical Association (OMA). The briefing was aimed at highlighting the risks associated with do-it-yourself medicine — warning any form of self-diagnosis comes with risks.
According to a survey from the Canadian Medical Association from January, 62 per cent of Canadians reported seeing health information online before later learning it was misleading or false. That same survey found that 23 per cent of people said they'd experienced negative health reactions after following misleading information found online.
'Doctors recognize the complex circumstances that make do-it-yourself treatments appealing,' said Zainab Abdurrahman, OMA president and a clinical immunologist, during Wednesday's briefing.
These reasons for seeking answers online could stem from a lack of trust between a would-be patient and medical professionals or not having access to a family doctor, Abdurrahman and other medical professionals at the briefing explained.
'But we assure patients that experts are here to help,' Abdurrahman said.
Most of the misleading health information these days comes from social media, experts at the briefing said.
Alyse Goldberg, an endocrinologist in Toronto, said she's seen some posts related to endocrine disorders pop up on her social media feeds after talking with her patients, highlighting how prevalent these posts can be.
'I'm not necessarily even searching for it,' she said.
Experts who spoke at the briefing said that people's use of the internet to learn more about what others might be experiencing can be somewhat helpful, but encouraged those who do to always bring up their concerns with a medical professional.
They stressed that medical professionals avoid judging their patients whenever social media posts come up in appointments.
'The problem which I try to avoid is the perception that we somehow know more or that there is an air of superiority,' said David D'Souza, a professor and radiation oncologist at Western University.
For those who don't have a family doctor, people can also find reliable information online from health associations or by visiting a walk-in clinic.
'There are lots of avenues to still reach doctors to talk about this, even if you don't have a regular doctor,' Abdurrahman said.
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