Have you ever wondered what is wrong with you medically and turned to the Internet for the answer? According to a CBS News report, 35 percent of U.S. adults have used the Internet to self-diagnose a medical condition or knew of someone who had.
These latest findings were revealed in a Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project that was published Jan. 15. It also revealed that 81 percent of U.S. adults used the Internet, and 59 percent of the adult population looked up health information online, but 39 percent of the searches were for someone else.
Women were more likely to search the Internet for a health-related issue pertaining to them as were younger people and white adults. Less than half, however, said a doctor confirmed the diagnosis, 35 percent did not seek a professional opinion and 18 percent said a professional disputed the online findings pertaining to their condition.
Have you ever used the Internet to research a medical condition for yourself or somebody else?
The internet is a great tool for information - If more people used common sense and stopped going to the doctor for every sniffle and ache, our insurance costs wouldn't be so high.