This content is sponsored by the American Medical Association.
There is arguably nothing more important than your health, so it’s not surprising that millions of Americans don’t hesitate to go online to check to seek out medical information.
The amount of health information available at your fingertips has never been greater.
But while the advent of artificial intelligence provides a whole new world of potential breakthroughs, there is still no substitute for the expertise of doctors.
The amount of misinformation and bogus medical claims online and elsewhere is enormous.
The American Medical Association was founded in 1847 – decades before the invention of the telephone, which ultimately led to today’s smartphone.
But even then, the AMA was trying to provide the newest medical information and promote public health.
John Whyte, the AMA’s CEO and executive vice president, notes that part of his organization’s original mission was to “address medical quackery” and the array of bogus potions people thought would cure them or prevent illness.
“I have to say, what’s old is new again, and we’re dealing with mistrust and lack of faith in science and, in some ways, modern medicine,” he says.
Treating health information like financial information
Whyte points out that people rigorously pore over their investments and do a lot of financial homework, so why wouldn’t they do the same for issues that could potentially be matters of life or death?
“When people search for health information, I wish they would search for health information like they do financial information,” Whyte says.
He points out it can be a very similar exercise.
“What do you do when you’re trying to figure out where you might invest your money? You don’t just look to someone on social media who has a million followers,” he says. “You check their credentials. You see if they have expertise in the area where you need some advice.”
He said blindly following online medical advice would be like pouring all your investments into cryptocurrency without any consideration of market volatility, potential risks, or your personal financial goals – and doing so without talking to an expert.
“Too often in health, we try something that an influencer has suggested,” he says, pointing to examples like extreme diets or unusual exercise routines.
“And the reason why you’re so careful about your finances is because your money’s important to you,” Whyte says. “But I would argue that your health is even more important, and how you search information is critically important.”
Be careful with your medical information
Whyte says that people are often too eager to get a quick answer online and don’t think about the implications of their personal health information.
“Our health information is some of the most sensitive information about us, and I do find that too many folks are willing to just load their medical records into ChatGPT or some other generative AI tool,” he says.
Whyte notes that these tools are not protecting against compromising your health information.
For example, your information could be sold, even if websites say they’re going to protect it.
“I would be very careful about uploading any personal information to a website to give you…expert advice,” he says.
Be wary of medical claims that are made nowhere else.
“There is no magic pill,” Whyte says. “If someone’s promising you these great results, you should be a little suspect about it.”
He says no matter what you read, you should talk to your doctor about it.
Whyte says people often fall into a trap of looking for “esoteric clues” to their condition, while ignoring the obvious.
Many people imagine every possible negative outcome when they identify a symptom or physical irregularity.
He says there’s a parallel with online behavior, known as cyberchondria.
“You just fall into this rabbit hole where you’re looking at every element of your health and it’s always the most harmful, most dangerous aspect,” he says.
He says that’s where people need to take a step back, think about what’s realistic, and speak with their doctor.
How to get the most out of your doctor’s visit
As a physician, Whyte knows that a trip to the doctor can be stressful.
The doctor needs to get through a lot of patients and sometimes the patients leave the office without feeling they know more about their condition.
“What I advise patients is to come with a list of four to five questions and prioritize them in terms of what’s most important to you to get answered before the visit,” Whyte says.
He recommends writing them down on a piece of paper or listing them on your phone.
Whyte prefers getting a piece of paper so he can read it and “understand what’s on their mind.”
He says a patient shouldn’t leave their doctor’s office until they have their questions addressed.
“The other thing that I would say is give those questions to your doctor at the beginning of the visit, not at the end, when he or she may be rushed to see another patient,” he says. “That’s how you’re going to get the most benefit.”
Whyte also notes that while people need to be careful in vetting medical information, the AMA supports digital health tools that can be useful for patients and physicians.
He notes that many people now track their personal health trends with a watch or their smartphone.
“It’s really an amazing advance that I can collect a lot of information about you from these smart tools that’s continuous,” Whyte says.
He says the latest digital tools can help diagnose a condition earlier and find the best therapeutic option for you.
“That’s what I’m excited about when we talk about digital health,” Whyte says.
