The Doc will Tweet you now
The medical industry has registered tremendous growth, expansion and development ever since the internet was introduced to the modern generation. To date, the internet remains to be the most popular source of information, thanks to the rise of various search engines. Actually, it is almost impossible to fail to find your preferred information online, just by typing the relevant keywords in a particular search engine. This has also led to a new breed of patients who normally rely on the internet to detect, interpret and diagnose their symptoms with the major aim of finding a suitable solution.
The merits and challenges of online medical consultation versus in-person visits
There are many benefits to consulting online doctors, one of the greatest benefit of finding medical advice on the internet is the fact that unlike the conventional option, the internet is cheap and easily accessible. You just need a personal computer or other internet-enabled devices and you will be able to browse relevant health sites for more information regarding your health.
This system is also less tiresome compared to the traditional means where you will be required to book an appointment in advance with the doctor or at times, you may have to wait in long queues just to get the doctors’ attention. With the online system, patients normally get the chance to save time, especially if they are working under a busy schedule. After evaluating your signs and symptoms, the online medical experts suggest a suitable medical prescription to help you recover on time.
In as much as online medical advice is very popular in the current generation, this system comes with its own challenges. For example, a person suffering from anxiety might be advised to perform a simple relaxation exercise or take various medicines but in real sense, the patient might be suffering from serious conditions such as heart arrhythmia. The best and most reliable way to get the right prescription is to consult a medical expert physically for further diagnosis.
As a patient, you should always bear in mind that some diseases and infections normally have similar symptoms. This does not necessarily mean that you have to panic. In fact, the internet has come under great criticism of late since most patients who rely on this method to get reliable information about their health usually feel stressed after reading through some horrific stories of previous patients.
Another great challenge facing the online medical industry is the fact that most patients normally downplay their diseases and infections after getting a word of reassurance from the internet. Most diseases can be treated on time when you consult an offline medical expert but according to some patients, they would rather opt for the online systems since most of them tend to downplay these symptoms, thus creating no need for urgent medication. This may lead to serious health complications in future because the patients do not know their health status.
The growth of the online medical industry
It is no doubt that the online medical industry has grown to greater heights over the last few decades. This can be attributed to the evolving technology, such as the introduction of smartphones, online health discussion forums and clinics. The busy lifestyle of most patients has also left little or no time at all for regular visits to various offline medical centers and this explains why the online system is thriving.
So many businesses and private organizations want to look as professional as possible and for this reason; the internet is widely seen as a crucial marketing tool. Most medical experts predict that the popularity of online medical diagnosis is set to rise to a higher level. This is as a result of the introduction of trained doctors whose major role is to attend to online patients through various websites and social media platforms such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, hence leading to the rise of a common online phrase; “The doc will tweet you now.”
Article by: Jenna Smith
