Many Kiwis go online to solve health woes

Dr Peter Foley says it was dangerous to self-diagnose, even when using a reputable health website. Photo / Richard Robinson

More New Zealanders are turning to the internet for medical advice, sparking fears from doctors that people are fretting needlessly about diseases they do not have.

A TNS Conversa survey of health insurance customers found that four out of five had consulted the internet about medical matters - up 8 per cent from two years ago - and many of them said they would use their findings to challenge their doctor's advice.

The survey of 566 Southern Cross members found that more than half relied on the internet as a regular source of health information - making the web second only to GPs as the most relied-upon source of medical advice.

Young people aged between 20 and 29 were almost as likely to regularly consult the internet as they were to regularly consult their doctor with health problems.

The survey, carried out in August and issued yesterday by Southern Cross, supports other studies suggesting people are increasingly turning to the net for medical advice.

A 2009 Netguide-Telecom broadband survey found a third of respondents used the internet rather than visiting their GP.

Medical Association chairman Peter Foley said it was fine to consult the internet ahead of a doctor's visit, but said many people were worrying needlessly after giving themselves a wrong diagnosis.

"Many people will be falsely worried, and others will be falsely reassured by what they do or don't read," he said. "There is so much [information online that] trying to sort out the truth from the bog is an issue."

For those aged 54 and younger, the only other source of advice to come close to the internet in the latest study, apart from GPs, was family and friends. Those aged 55 or over were slightly more likely to turn to a medical specialist than the internet.

Younger people were more likely than older folk to consult Google, with 90 per cent of 20- to 29-year-olds saying they had used the internet for medical matters, compared with 75 per cent of people aged 55 or older.

More women (86 per cent) than men (75 per cent) had turned to the internet.

Dr Foley said it was dangerous to self-diagnose, even using a reputable health website. "Health is a very complex subject and there are dangers in interpreting signs and symptoms. If people want to challenge [their doctor's diagnosis] they should do that in the consulting room so that it can be explained."

Dr Foley said it was very common for people to visit the GP armed with internet information. "We understand that when we give people labels and diagnoses, they will go and look it up on the internet. We often direct [people] to appropriate sites."

Southern Cross CEO Ian McPherson, a former family doctor, said online research was positive if it helped people prepare questions for their GP, but said he would be worried if it was used as a substitute.