Dear Internet: What Are These Itchy Bumps?
Majorities of every demographic except the very old, the very poor, and the very…Hispanic, are hopping online to for health information:
These numbers are going to keep going up, too.
Two ways to read this:
Optimistic, pro-technology approach: When it comes to health care, Americans are more resourceful than they're given credit for. Some of those 47 million uninsured are getting their health info somewhere other than a doctor's office. And the insured are using legit online medical sources as cheaper, better second opinions. Millions of quick googles of phrases like "strange itchy bumps" are saving us billions in health care spending, and rare diseases may diagnosed quickly with the right combo of search terms.
Pessimistic, Luddite approach: Sweet baby Jesus, have you ever looked up the answer to a health question online? People give terrible medical advice in those wisdom-of-crowds sites (i.e. the advice from Waffleluva and devine diva here at Yahoo! Answers). It's only going to make our national health care crisis worse, when everyone with a temperature of 99 degrees demands testing for viral hemorrhagic fever. Thank God we're about to get rolling on that whole health care rationing thing.
One place to get good medical advice online, courtesy of Megan McArdle: Things I Learned From My Patients
