More NZers diagnosing illnesses online: Survey

More New Zealanders are diagnosing their illnesses online instead of going to their GP, according to a new survey.

More than a third of those surveyed in the 2009 NetGuide Telecom broadband survey had looked for medical advice from the many internet-based resources available rather than visiting their GP.

There are 22 million possible results for swine flu on Yahoo!Xtra, 83 million results for how to treat a cold, and more than 69 million for how to tell if your child is sick.

There are also many websites providing medical advice including answers.com, diagnoseme.com and healthline.com.

But New Zealand Medical Association chairman Peter Foley warned there was no substitute for a face to face consultation with a doctor for diagnoses.

"People risk being misinformed if they rely solely on the internet. Many illnesses can have similar symptoms and the internet can't provide you with a fully informed diagnosis or be relied on to provide factual and balanced information, Dr Foley said.

"It is important that there is some balance between people seeking basic information for themselves with the role experts play in sorting the complexity of symptoms and expectations in our modern health systems."

Ralph Brayman, Telecom's director of home services, said the survey was a useful way to track the fast changing internet habits of New Zealanders.

"While the quantity and variety of information available on the internet is fantastic, as in all good things, moderation and balance are important," Mr Brayman said.

About 1600 people took part in the survey, which included various other questions about New Zealanders' internet habits.

- NZPA