Patients' use of Google for diagnosis before attending the GP

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Patient’s use of ‘Dr Google’ as a diagnostic tool prior to primary care appointments.

• IRAS ID

  191151

• Contact name

  Kevan Thorley

• Sponsor organisation

  Exeter University

• Duration of Study in the UK

  0 years, 0 months, 5 days

• Research summary

  A Student Designed and Run project:
  Background: An increasing number of people are turning to the internet in the search for health related information. However, there is a limited amount of research exploring this area of interest.
  Objective: To determine the number of patients who obtain medical diagnoses online before consulting their GP, and to identify what proportion of these diagnoses were in agreement with the diagnosis made by the doctor.
  Methods: A voluntary self-administered questionnaire regarding online health seeking behaviour will be offered to patients attending a practice of 11,515 patients with five partners in mid Cornwall in January 2016.

• REC name

  West of Scotland REC 3

• REC reference

  15/WS/0247

• Date of REC Opinion

  22 Oct 2015

• REC opinion

  Favourable Opinion