Nowadays, many people use the Internet to get medical advice instead of going to see a doctor. Why is this? Do you think it is a positive or negative development?

The advent of the internet has changed the way people get medical advice. These days, many people prefer to surf the web to get medical information instead of making an appointment with a doctor or specialist. There are reasons behind this and I believe that this is a negative development.


There are some clear reasons why many individuals rely on the internet to get medical advice. The long waiting times to see a doctor at their clinics is one reasonThe long waiting times to see a doctor at their clinics is one reason The long waiting times to see a doctor at their clinics are one reason . When people want to visit a well-known doctor, such as an ear, nose, and throat specialist, they have to wait hours in many cases in some countries, especially developing countries, including Iranincluding Iran including Iran. . This can act as a deterrent. The burgeoning advancements in technology might be another reason. AI platforms such as ChatGPT can provide great medical advice due to the fact that it has access to a wide range of medical resources and it can analyse the information and give suitable advice based on the patient's descriptionsdue to the fact that it has access to a wide range of medical resources and it can analyse the information and give suitable advice based on the patient's descriptions due to its access to a wide range of medical resources and its ability to analyze the information and provide suitable advice based on the patient's descriptions .


However, this trend is not without its drawbacks. If this trend continues, it can lead to the unemployment of some doctorsIf this trend continues, it can lead to the unemployment of some doctors If this trend continues, it could lead to the unemployment of some doctors . When people see that the advice they get online works, they do not see any reason to spend time and money to visit a doctor. Not being able to be examined is another drawbackNot being able to be examined is another drawback The inability to be examined is another drawback , which can lead to dangerous consequences. For instance, if a person with a simple symptom such as a small pain in their chest, uses online medical advice, they might conclude that it might be just a strain in their muscle. However, their pain might be a sign of breast cancer which needs medical examination or medical imaging, including MRItheir pain might be a sign of breast cancer which needs medical examination or medical imaging, including MRI their pain might be a sign of breast cancer, which needs medical examination or medical imaging, including MRI . Consequently, they ignore their symptoms in its initial stages and when the illness gets too serious they might see a doctor, when nothing can be done, since the illness has progressedwhen nothing can be done, since the illness has progressed when nothing can be done since the illness has progressed .


In conclusion, in my opinion, long waiting times at clinics and the accessibility and sophistication of online platforms to get advice have encouraged many people to get online medical advice. Nevertheless, this trend can lead to the unemployment of doctors and serious medical consequences in some cases, when AI platforms are incapable of diagnosing the illness properly.