While self-researching health issues online is typically discouraged, a new study suggests it can be helpful in some ways.
More than one-third of the 400 patients who presented to hospitals over the course of the study say they searched their symptoms online before arriving for treatment.
And the study's co-author, Dr Anthony Cocco from Melbourne's Saint Vincent's Hospital, says the vast majority of those who did prior research found it helpful.
"About 77 per cent of patients who searched have noted that it enhanced their experience and had a positive effect, particularly denoting that they’re able to communicate more effectively with the doctor, ask more informed questions and, also, to understand their doctor better.”
The study found chest, stomach, back and head pain were the most common symptoms searched and young people were the demographic most likely to consult the internet for advice.
The vast majority of those surveyed said internet-derived health information "never" or "rarely" led them to doubt their doctor’s advice.
But while around two in five patients said looking up symptoms made them anxious, Dr Cocco says there is no evidence to suggest that is increasing presentations to medical clinics.
Migrants and people whose first language is not English can face further obstacles, including language and cultural barriers which may stop them from asking difficult or personal questions.
Viji Dhayanathan, from the Tamil Women’s Development Group, says she wishes health professionals had enough time to ensure such people understood what they have been told.
She says health professionals need to use clear, simple terms to describe complicated conditions and she is concerned people can misread or misunderstand what they see online.
"They may not have the knowledge or the capacity to go through the internet. I mean, they may not know English, or they may not know how to use computers. And, also, most of these internet sites are not scientifically proven, so people can actually read the wrong thing and fear they have got something really serious."
Ms Dhayanathan advises people to go to the government website healthdirect.gov.au and use the question builder tool to generate questions to take to medical appointments.
Erica Stevens, who lives with myalgic encephalomyelitis, commonly known as chronic fatigue syndrome, says she has seen at least four different medical practitioners over two years.
She says each practitioner, while well-meaning, knew little about her condition so being able to look at information online and bring it to her sessions has been extremely beneficial.
“It’s a very complex illness. Not all GPs and allied health practitioners are aware of the complexity and the severity. So finding that information has been immensely valuable."
The University of Melbourne's Dr Reeva Lederman says people should not unquestioningly believe what they read but, instead, should discuss any information they may find with a qualified professional.
She says the sources of medical information are not always reliable.
"If you go online and search for something through Google, well, they might send you, for example, to the Mayo Clinic or you might just find some random online community full of people with their own opinions. People will search obsessively for information, and it will make them very anxious. So, obviously, your best option is to take that information that you get online and use it for a discussion with your doctor."
Previous studies have found some medical professionals do not like patients doing their own research.
But Dr Cocco says doctors need to acknowledge their patients may be doing so -- and says patients who do search must do so on reputable, evidence-based websites.
"I think patients and doctors should be openly discussing this, especially knowing that patients will trust a doctor’s information over the internet, because nothing would replace a medical consultation. But (it’s) definitely something we should be encouraging and, hopefully, leading to an overall better experience for everyone involved."
