Patients who search the web for information about their health can gain more from GP consultations than others, experts say today.
Patients continue to report mixed reactions from doctors when they announce they’ve been searching for information, according to a report in the British Journal of General Practice.
But doctors can use patient interest in their health to good advantage, according to the study by Parvathy Bowes, of University College, London.
Some 26 patients took part in the research.
Patients said their private research proved "positive" when the doctor listened and acknowledged their concerns and then gave professional opinion and support.
Others said they felt they had to be careful about how they presented the information as the doctor seemed to feel "threatened".
Journal editor Professor Roger Jones said: "Patients of all ages use the internet and many now attend their GP appointment with information that they have researched themselves.
"Whereas GPs might have been sceptical in the past, many are increasingly using this as a way of opening up the discussion and engaging patients, which can lead to a more productive consultation for both patient and GP.
"It is very encouraging to see patients taking an interest in their health and the internet can be a useful means of finding out more about health concerns.
"It would be wrong to disregard the efforts patients are making to do this, but GPs will also advise caution because there are a lot of dubious sites providing information that is not based on evidence, which can be quite misleading when taken out of context."
British Journal of General Practice October 2012
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