Recently, the internet and the technology are interfering with every part of our life. Likewise, medicine are facing challenges to cope with new innovative technology. One of the most important challenges is medical advices provided across the social media. This essay will discuss both causes of this trend and highlight why I think it is a negative trend.
There are two main reasons encourage people seeking online medical advices. Firstly, it’s more easy and quicker than hospital appointment. In fact, some people prefer to google their symptoms instead of waiting for months for their reservation. For example, in Saudi Arabia, individuals would rather have a physical examination at private center than at governmental hospitals. Secondly, privacy is an important concern which disturbs a lot of people; thus, they choose to have their consultation online. For instance, a person who suffers from badly breathed smelling is shy to ask a doctor in person.
On the other hand, in my opinion, there are many demerits related to this trend. One of them is related to the assessment. That is to say, doctors need in a main way to observe and assess their patients correctly, rather than offer merely advices or diagnosis. For example, to diagnose nerve entrapment, physician needs to test the patient to ensure the diagnosis. In addition, human communication has a huge positive impact on patient’s health and progression.
In conclusion, new technology is improving and changing our lives. Likewise, medicine is affected by these innovative changes. Seeking medical advices across the internet has many reasons, such as privacy concern and hospital overcrowding. I strongly believe that this trend has various negative developments, including misdiagnosis and deprivation of human connection.