News : Google trial lets you chat with doctors when you search for symptoms.

[Anonymous]

Headline : Google trial lets you chat with doctors when you search for symptoms.

Excerpts from the Link "Searching the web for symptoms of illness can be dangerous -- you could identify a real condition, but you also risk scaring yourself for no reason through a misdiagnosis. Google might have a solution that puts your mind at ease, though."

My thoughts :

With trying to secure a GP appointment getting more difficult this could help some people needing help / assurance ,but I still don't think services like this should stop someone concerned from making an appointment.

Source : Engadget.
Read more here : http://www.engadget.com/2014/10/11/google-tests-doctor-video-chats/

[Cleoriff]

Oh dear me.... Even with a video NO doctor will be hands on with any patient....

So much can be learnt this way. How would a doctor examine a lump via video?. Diagnosis of some cancerous tumours are done by examination which includes physically palpating the lump..

How would they take a temperature or record a blood pressure. take bloods or urine specimens??

I may be 'old school' but I can't help thinking this could be a very dangerous practice...:smileysad:

[Anonymous]

I agree with @Cleoriff completely, this can cause more harm than good. If it was like a triage service like when u ring nhs direct it could be useful, but not to diagnose anything . And I'm the perfect example of what u said  my first symptom was hand and arm numbness, if the doctor wasn't there he could not see and test what level of numbness i had and refer me to the right place.

[jonsie]

I would hate to think of the problems this could cause. What self respecting doctor would participate in this? I have visions of someone with minimal medical qualifications sat there armed with an A-Z of medical ailments.

[Cleoriff]

Here is a classic scenario....

Patient : Doctor...I am feeling cold and clammy

Doctor: I would take your temperature..Oh I can't...

Paitient: I am a diabetic.

Doctor: I should take your blood sugar...Oh I can't

Patient: I am  feeling worse what should I do?

Doctor: Call an ambulance...

[Anonymous]

On a less serious note, if they decided you needed medication, would they send u an e-prescription?!

so instead of printing the prescription and signing it , he would just type it in and ask u what is your email address?

[Cleoriff]

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@Anonymous wrote:

On a less serious note, if they decided you needed medication, would they send u an e-prescription?!

so instead of printing the prescription and signing it , he would just type it in and ask u what is your email address?

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I seriously hope not @Anonymous Anyone knows how easy it is to change an email.

That would be open to all sorts of abuse and mismanagement ....

[jonsie]

We'll be a nation of self diagnosed hypochondriacs!

[MI5]

As if it's not bad enough already !!!!

[Anonymous]

I seriously posted that as a joke, something that would never be allowed to happen but the more I think about it , the more it worries me. Common sense, or at least my common sense, says it would never be allowed as it would be very easy to misuse the system, like by those ppl that go to every single doctor there is to get prescriptions for pain killers for example. What worries me is that it would be a cost efficient solution I'll bet, and the nhs now is not about the patient anymore, it's all about cutting down on cost. Half the doctors/nurses/staff needed  but hey oh, less salaries to pay =successful cut down on costs, who cares if people wait weeks, sometimes months to be seen?! (rant over):computer_destroy_smiley: