A family member was recently paying a visit to a doctor who provided his diagnosis of the condition and suggested a course of treatment. My family member listened patiently but then said, “I was wondering if we could actually try another treatment instead.” The doctor playfully rolled his eyes and said, “I see you’ve been consulting with Dr. Google.” Guilty as charged.
I suppose every doctor must be familiar with this phenomenon by now—familiar with patients who, the moment they are told of their condition, jump on the Internet and quickly read every relevant page on WebMD, scour specialized forums, and probably check what people are saying on Reddit as well. By the time they show up for their follow-up, they have armed themselves with plenty of knowledge and their best assessment of the path forward. As much as they appreciate the doctor’s ideas, they would prefer to follow their own.
We live in an age of information—an age in which there is more information available to us than we can possibly ever read, absorb, understand, or master. And in this age, we have grown accustomed to looking beyond those who are near
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