Telemedicine: Have Virtual Clinics Become Patients’ First Choice?

There is no doubt that the healthcare sector is rapidly changing as companies are constantly launching new diagnostics and therapies on a regular basis; not only this, even the way medical care services are delivered has evolved.

A perfect example of this evolution may be the adoption of telemedicine and telehealth. The two terms refer to the remote delivery of healthcare services through telecommunications technology.

Technically, telemedicine refers to providing clinical services remotely, while telehealth can also include non-clinical services.

While online self-diagnosis is not something new, the importance of virtual health care grew mostly during the Covid-19 pandemic, when people were encouraged to check their Covid symptoms at home.

Meanwhile, the doubt around the virus and instructions to stay at home prevented many people from accessing health care. Why would they take the risk when they can simply open the laptop and check?

 

Self-Diagnosis

The internet and technical development in telecommunications led to the emergence of the concept of "telemedicine," through which diagnostic services and medical examinations are provided to patients through "virtual clinics."

Telemedicine has been expanded to include facilitating communication between health practitioners and between patients and their doctors. The concept has also facilitated communication between doctors themselves, whether in connection with consultations, scientific conferences, or other medical educational activities. Telemedicine is also used to disseminate medical information and to create comprehensive medical databases.

Many people are relying on the internet to get health-related information. In 2021, 93% of American adults had access to the internet, according to the Pew Research Center, and between 67.5% and 81.5% of American adults have checked online health-related information.

The Local conducted a study in collaboration with AXA – Global Healthcare to find out the dangers arising from private self-diagnosis that people self-diagnose online.

AXA also recently conducted its largest-ever research into "mental health" issues in the wake of the pandemic.

One of the most striking findings of the research was that 28% of mental health-related conditions and disorders among people were self-diagnosed.

The study included 11,000 people from 11 countries in Europe and Asia, and 13.5 percent of the participants lived outside their home countries. The research found a unique set of mental health challenges foreigners faced far from the support networks and home comforts they got used to.

According to the same study, depression and anxiety were the most common self-diagnosed problems by internet research among expatriates surveyed. Disturbingly, only 26% of self-diagnosed foreigners said their condition was being treated "well." This is compared to 49% of those with a condition correctly and directly diagnosed by a medical professional.

 

Why People Resort to Self-Diagnosis?

Being sick in a foreign country with a new medical system can be "daunting and off-putting" when not knowing who to call or where to go.

So not understanding the medical landscape when living abroad is a strong reason to resort to online self-diagnosing.

Out of anxiety and fear, people turn to online diagnosis, where they find fast and low-cost diagnostic services with reliable online advice and assistance from many accredited health institutions.

They allow individuals "to talk to specialist doctors through the virtual doctor service. There is an increase in the demand for telemedicine, but it is necessary to think deeply before consulting the internet about your health symptoms," according to The Local.

Only 53 percent of foreigners, according to AXA – Global Healthcare's Mind Health Index, said they knew how to access mental health help if they needed it.

"It's worrying that so many non-natives are using the internet to self-diagnose, but perhaps not surprising," said Rebecca Freer, Head of Marketing at AXA – Global Healthcare. "Knowing how a local healthcare system works can be challenging, let alone knowing the sources of support you can trust. In contrast to these potential barriers to seeking help, the internet can seem to offer fast and credible sources of advice."

At this stage, people will find themselves in front of 3 options; they either self-treat online, which can be dangerous and do more harm than good, or think they are fine, when in fact, they are in urgent need of medical help. The last option is overreacting to a situation that is not as bad as they thought, and this may lead them to more worry and stress.

This can even result in "cyberchondria," when online searching for medical information and its associated signs becomes excessive.

Accordingly, people turn to online self-diagnosis out of anxiety and fear of their symptoms. Another reason, which may be seen as important for many, is the fast and low-cost diagnostic services that the internet provides compared to direct medical consultations.

People are also encouraged to self-diagnose because many accredited health institutions practice reliable online advice and assistance, as patients can talk to specialist doctors through the virtual doctor service.

 

Risks of 'Dr. Google'

Despite the increase in telemedicine demand, it is necessary to think deeply before consulting the internet.

Online self-diagnosing and self-treatment can be hazardous to people's health.

Regardless of the online accredited medical institutions and the trusted information on the internet, it is possible for someone without medical training to misinterpret it.

A number of risks can occur when people use remote medical information to diagnose or treat themselves.

Navigating online medical information, people may become overly certain and convinced about a self-diagnosis and then find it hard to believe a different diagnosis.

Some online symptoms can be due to a minor, passing illness, or something deadly. But people will only think about the last option because it is easy to latch on to the worst-case scenario, which is not usually accurate.

Moreover, people's research may lead to unnecessary tests; they become overly worried about a particular diagnosis and waste their time and money.

However, what people should take into consideration is that they may pass through unreliable information as anyone can post online, so the information may be inaccurate, misleading, or even intentionally manipulative.

Online self-diagnosis cannot be prevented, but those consulting Dr. Google should be aware of the possible risks by confirming the online information with a healthcare provider and credible sources.