I know that a lot of nurses get all bent out of shape whenever you dare to use the doctor, meaning an MD. As we all know, a doctor can also be a nurse with a PhD. Hmmm….and they also get their knickers in a royal twist if you use the word physician rather than the more generic clinician or practitioner. Granted, a lot of people don’t see an MD anymore, at least not for a routine visit. They see a PA, or a nurse practitioner. But still, these are ridiculous battles, and take away from the energy that should be put towards organizing and mobilizing nurses, and really moving the profession into the 21st century.

Anyway, the above rant is just to explain that yes, I know, I am being like so politically incorrect for writing “Dr. Internet,” considering that it implies an MD. But who cares? I don’t, and I think it’s cute. The story behind this post is that now the ordinary person surfing the Internet can just surf on over to WedMD and check out any annoying symptoms. Sort of like doc in the box, only virtual.

It’s the new WebMD symptom checker, and loaded with the disclaimer that it is not meant to take the place of real medical help.

This tool does not provide medical advice It is intended for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Never ignore professional medical advice in seeking treatment because of something you have read on the WebMD Site. If you think you may have a medical emergency, immediately call your doctor or dial 911.

Thanks for sharing. But I guess that have to put the disclaimers up, as someone is bound to sue them for “misdiagnosis.”

I tried it out and it really isn’t very precise. You put in a symptom or a list of symptoms, and then different possible diagnoses pop up. And they are really vague. Just to try it out, I selected several symptoms related to an upset stomach, and the choices that came up included constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, colon cancer, depression, kidney infection and muscle strain.

I tried again and put in symptoms closely related; cough, mild shortness of breath, and heartburn. Again, my choices were all over the map, although I did kept getting warnings to seek medical help if I was experiencing shortness of breath. But the menu that popped up included common cold, asthma, allergies, aortic stenosis, drug allergy, coronary artery disease, anemia, GERD, etc. I suppose that it may give someone a chance to consider possibilities, but it can really scare you, I think. And all of these choices are so wide.

But I guess it’s cheaper than going to a PRACTITIONER, especially if you lack insurance!