PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Anson Au
TI  - Why Physician Guidance Matters: A Night of Neuralgia, Meningitis, and WebMD
AID  - 10.1370/afm.2414
DP  - 2019 Sep 01
TA  - The Annals of Family Medicine
PG  - 462--464
VI  - 17
IP  - 5
4099  - http://www.annfammed.org/content/17/5/462.short
4100  - http://www.annfammed.org/content/17/5/462.full
SO  - Ann Fam Med2019 Sep 01; 17
AB  - During a night of severe pain and weakness, I found several plausible-sounding diagnoses online: occipital neuralgia, nerve damage, and meningitis. The next day, I consulted a physician who did not offer professional guidance; instead the physician suggested tests entirely based on my self-diagnoses. What resulted was an unnecessary array of lengthy and costly testing that did not diagnose the problem. Although my symptoms disappeared on their own, I was left feeling mistrustful of my physician and ultimately stressed and anxious. Against the backdrop of my experience, I highlight the potential harms of Internet-based self-diagnoses and the importance of collaboration and trust in the patient-physician relationship.