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mr-photo t1_isssp8s wrote

or.. people should stop taking medical advice from people on the internet and go see an actual doctor

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0liBear t1_isstakf wrote

This is a solution to that problem, with less cost to the people. If hospitals rivaled negative online information with their obviously more correct info, less people would end up without medical advice.

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EVJoe t1_istaq56 wrote

For many, "Go see an actual doctor" is not something which can be done simply, quickly, or without expense. Millions of people in the US avoid seeing healthcare due to cost.

The use of the internet as a stand-in for healthcare isn't the fault of people who are dumb or gullible as you seem to imply -- it's a reflection of millions of people with health concerns who feel like they can't seek care.

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leithal70 t1_issz6n4 wrote

The thing is, that won’t happen. Social media is the new Tv or radio and that isn’t changing anytime soon. Rather than push back against getting info from these places, we have to find a way to legitimize information on these sites and find ways to run successful campaigns for healthy decisions.

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user_dan t1_istav57 wrote

In America, even if you have health insurance, the cost of seeing a doctor can be prohibitive.

If you can stomach the cost, referrals, claim denials or spending hours on the phone with a service rep in India are a very stressful part of seeing an actual doctor. In some cases, the pain of dealing with the healthcare system may be worse than the disease.

I don't know what the numbers are of people choosing alternatives to the healthcare system, but I imagine the trend is upward.

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mr-photo t1_istfsf9 wrote

I feel sorry for you then, up here in Canada I just make an appointment and go see my doctor anytime. We're not without our issues too, many people don't have a family doctor because of shortages and wait times can be long, but there are many clinics or even the hospital that they can just walk into and don't have to pay anything.

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SuddenCompetition262 t1_isuchqo wrote

The other issue is that there’s nowhere near enough doctors where I live. Almost no one has a family doctor unless you’ve been grandfathered in from living here for decades, and even trying to talk to a doctor online often has a 1 month + wait time.

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JoHaSa t1_isul5t0 wrote

Public health is only partly issue demanding medical doctors. A lot can be done by other, less expensive professionals. Medical doctors are not professionals in life style improvement. Psychologist, dietitians and even communication specialists may be very useful in making public health issues known to ordinary people.

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mkottt t1_isunoes wrote

Why can't they do both again ?

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