Medical Googler, Cyberchondriacs, or e-Patient for Online Health Info Seeker
February 3, 2010 – 10:42 by Dani Iswara. Words count: 213.Last updated: Wednesday, February 3, 2010 at 10:50.
Accessing web site portals on Internet has become more common now in this information age. Gains more equal or less digital-divide access to information. For online health information seekers, access to information is an essential in the user-centric framework.
Health consumer may compare your professional diagnosis with web source quotes. Patients often attempt to get second-third opinions. The rule, self diagnosis must not be used as a substitute for a professional medical advice or consultation.
Labels for them
This debate starts in 2007. Now, via Google.co.id (Indonesia) search results, I found these words (with double quotes):
- Medical googler: 305 result.
- Cyberchondria: 48.700.
- E-Patient: 84.500.
- Online health information seeker: 71.800.
Medical googler sounds branding issue.
Cyberchondria in Wikipedia: Cyberchondria (or cyberchondriasis) refers to the unfounded escalation of concerns about common symptomology based on review of search results and literature online.
E-Patient in Wikipedia:
e-Patients (also known as Internet Patient, or Internet-savvy Patient) are health consumers who use the Internet to gather information about a medical condition of particular interest to them
…
e-Patients report two effects of their online health research: “better health information and services, and different (but not always better) relationships with their doctors.”
Would it be pasien elektronik? 
You may read my old post titled Medical Googler vs Medical Blogger in bahasa Indonesia.
Dani Iswara, mail me: [myfirstnamelastname]@gmail.com or use contact form.
Comment by aldy on February 3, 2010 at 12:37:37
using Mozilla Firefox 3.6 on Windows XP
Mas Dhani,
Sebelum memberikan komen ini saya terpaksa membaca dulu medical googler vs medical blogger”, bukan apa-apa karena pemahaman saya dalam bahasa Inggris sangat minim.
Sampai sejauh ini saya menggunakan informasi kesehatan yang ada di Internet sebabai suplemen saja. Tetap saja saya langsung ke Dokter dan kemudian saya tanyakan hal-hal yang saya temukan di Internet.
Mungkin lain ceritanya jika disini, karena saya bisa berinteraksi langsung.
Salam Bli dan terima kasih masukan Linuxnya di blog saya.
Comment by Cahya on February 3, 2010 at 15:47:34
using Mozilla Firefox 3.6 on Windows Vista
It is “e” always refers to “electronic”?
Comment by mina on February 3, 2010 at 16:30:07
using Opera 10.10 on Windows XP
hahahaha, that’s new jargons for me
thanks!
Comment by Agung Haryono on February 3, 2010 at 22:38:00
using Mozilla Firefox 3.5.3 on Ubuntu Linux 9.10
Setuju dengan pak Aldi termasuk bahasa inggris saya
pernah sih ada temen ibu satu anak yg nanya ke saya “pengin nyari referensi dokter kandungan di internet semacam forum tanya jawab gitu” saya juga ga bisa bantu banyak