Why we are all Cyberchondriacs

We are CYBERCHONDRIACS n. "The unfounded escalation of concerns about common symptoms based on review of search results online" 4 of 5 internet users look online for Q health info with 3 billion questions every month WHAT ARE WE SEARCHING FOR? 83% 55% 70% medical health treatment professionals problems or procedure SORE THROAT COUGH HEADACHE BACK PAIN CHEST PAIN 1 in 2 people believe that search results reflect true likelihood of illness WHAT'S WRONG WITH THAT? We are 120x more likely to encounter heart attack in web search than to actually have it 860x and more likely to encounter brain tumor Same More concerned 33% HOW DO WE 42% REACT 25% to all this info? Reassured AND IT MATTERS 38% it affected their decision say about whether or not to see a doctor So, WHAT IF YOU COULD POLL millions oF PEOPLE WITH YOUR SYMPTOMS ABOUT WHAT THEY HAD (AND DID ABOUT IT)? try it symcat.com data-driven diagnosis Pew Internet: Health. The Pew Institute. Mar 2012. Cyberchondria. Microsoft Research. Nov 2008. The Rise of the e-Patient. The Pew Institute. Jan 2012. SOURCES Search behavior 1343 internet users. AHEAD Research. Feb 2012. We are CYBERCHONDRIACS n. "The unfounded escalation of concerns about common symptoms based on review of search results online" 4 of 5 internet users look online for Q health info with 3 billion questions every month WHAT ARE WE SEARCHING FOR? 83% 55% 70% medical health treatment professionals problems or procedure SORE THROAT COUGH HEADACHE BACK PAIN CHEST PAIN 1 in 2 people believe that search results reflect true likelihood of illness WHAT'S WRONG WITH THAT? We are 120x more likely to encounter heart attack in web search than to actually have it 860x and more likely to encounter brain tumor Same More concerned 33% HOW DO WE 42% REACT 25% to all this info? Reassured AND IT MATTERS 38% it affected their decision say about whether or not to see a doctor So, WHAT IF YOU COULD POLL millions oF PEOPLE WITH YOUR SYMPTOMS ABOUT WHAT THEY HAD (AND DID ABOUT IT)? try it symcat.com data-driven diagnosis Pew Internet: Health. The Pew Institute. Mar 2012. Cyberchondria. Microsoft Research. Nov 2008. The Rise of the e-Patient. The Pew Institute. Jan 2012. SOURCES Search behavior 1343 internet users. AHEAD Research. Feb 2012. We are CYBERCHONDRIACS n. "The unfounded escalation of concerns about common symptoms based on review of search results online" 4 of 5 internet users look online for Q health info with 3 billion questions every month WHAT ARE WE SEARCHING FOR? 83% 55% 70% medical health treatment professionals problems or procedure SORE THROAT COUGH HEADACHE BACK PAIN CHEST PAIN 1 in 2 people believe that search results reflect true likelihood of illness WHAT'S WRONG WITH THAT? We are 120x more likely to encounter heart attack in web search than to actually have it 860x and more likely to encounter brain tumor Same More concerned 33% HOW DO WE 42% REACT 25% to all this info? Reassured AND IT MATTERS 38% it affected their decision say about whether or not to see a doctor So, WHAT IF YOU COULD POLL millions oF PEOPLE WITH YOUR SYMPTOMS ABOUT WHAT THEY HAD (AND DID ABOUT IT)? try it symcat.com data-driven diagnosis Pew Internet: Health. The Pew Institute. Mar 2012. Cyberchondria. Microsoft Research. Nov 2008. The Rise of the e-Patient. The Pew Institute. Jan 2012. SOURCES Search behavior 1343 internet users. AHEAD Research. Feb 2012. We are CYBERCHONDRIACS n. "The unfounded escalation of concerns about common symptoms based on review of search results online" 4 of 5 internet users look online for Q health info with 3 billion questions every month WHAT ARE WE SEARCHING FOR? 83% 55% 70% medical health treatment professionals problems or procedure SORE THROAT COUGH HEADACHE BACK PAIN CHEST PAIN 1 in 2 people believe that search results reflect true likelihood of illness WHAT'S WRONG WITH THAT? We are 120x more likely to encounter heart attack in web search than to actually have it 860x and more likely to encounter brain tumor Same More concerned 33% HOW DO WE 42% REACT 25% to all this info? Reassured AND IT MATTERS 38% it affected their decision say about whether or not to see a doctor So, WHAT IF YOU COULD POLL millions oF PEOPLE WITH YOUR SYMPTOMS ABOUT WHAT THEY HAD (AND DID ABOUT IT)? try it symcat.com data-driven diagnosis Pew Internet: Health. The Pew Institute. Mar 2012. Cyberchondria. Microsoft Research. Nov 2008. The Rise of the e-Patient. The Pew Institute. Jan 2012. SOURCES Search behavior 1343 internet users. AHEAD Research. Feb 2012. We are CYBERCHONDRIACS n. "The unfounded escalation of concerns about common symptoms based on review of search results online" 4 of 5 internet users look online for Q health info with 3 billion questions every month WHAT ARE WE SEARCHING FOR? 83% 55% 70% medical health treatment professionals problems or procedure SORE THROAT COUGH HEADACHE BACK PAIN CHEST PAIN 1 in 2 people believe that search results reflect true likelihood of illness WHAT'S WRONG WITH THAT? We are 120x more likely to encounter heart attack in web search than to actually have it 860x and more likely to encounter brain tumor Same More concerned 33% HOW DO WE 42% REACT 25% to all this info? Reassured AND IT MATTERS 38% it affected their decision say about whether or not to see a doctor So, WHAT IF YOU COULD POLL millions oF PEOPLE WITH YOUR SYMPTOMS ABOUT WHAT THEY HAD (AND DID ABOUT IT)? try it symcat.com data-driven diagnosis Pew Internet: Health. The Pew Institute. Mar 2012. Cyberchondria. Microsoft Research. Nov 2008. The Rise of the e-Patient. The Pew Institute. Jan 2012. SOURCES Search behavior 1343 internet users. AHEAD Research. Feb 2012.