Use of Google as a diagnostic aid: Authors' reply to responses

doi:10.1136/bmj.39058.709537.3A

BMJ 2006;333:1270 (16 December), doi:10.1136/bmj.39058.709537.3A

Letters

Use of Google as a diagnostic aid

Authors' reply to responses

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

A common misinterpretation of our paper in thelay press was that doctors and patients could magically becomediagnosticians simply by using web search engines.¹ The artof diagnostic reasoning is difficult, and doctors become competentat it only after years of training and seeing patients.²

Our intended message was that in cases of "mysteryillnesses," a web search may be fruitful in finding articlesthat may suggest a diagnosis that would not otherwise be consideredbecause of the rarity of the illness and unfamiliarity withits symptoms and signs. Any article located from the web shouldbe critically appraised in the usual manner. We are less concernedabout the philosophical objections of how an article is locatedthan with its usefulness in patient care.

To state the obvious, there is no danger of"Google misdiagnosing life threatening disease" as search enginescannot make diagnoses. Only doctors are capable of . . . [Full text of this article]

Hangwi Tang, respiratory and sleep physician , Jennifer H K Ng, consultant rheumatologist

¹ Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, QLD 4102, Australia

hangwitang@yahoo.com

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Googling for a diagnosis—use of Google as a diagnostic aid: internet based study: Hangwi Tang and Jennifer Hwee Kwoon Ng
BMJ 2006 333: 1143-1145. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]