Medicine in the Internet Age
I remember back in the early days of dial-up access how excited we all were about the ways the internet was going to change everything. “The only thing it will change is everything” was our mantra.
It’s been a small pleasure of mine to see how true that has become.
In the last couple of years, I’ve become increasingly involved in men’s health issues and I’m excited about how the internet has changed the area of medicine. The biggest change is that people now have access to information that previously was unavailable. A few clicks of my mouse and I can read things like:
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF CLINICAL ENDOCRINOLOGISTS MEDICAL GUIDELINES FOR CLINICAL PRACTICE FOR THE EVALUATION AND TREATMENT OF HYPOGONADISM
IN ADULT MALE PATIENTS
In other words, I have access to the same information my doctor has access to. What is even more exciting is that not only can I read the protocols, I can also tap into forums and blogs of patients going through treatment and get access to the latest cutting edge information – stuff my doctor doesn’t have the time or inclination to deal with. After speaking with my doctor about these issues, there is no doubt that I am actually better informed than he is about the health issues that concern me the most.
This is a good thing for me, but it makes for difficult conversations with a doctor that is used to being the one holding all the cards.
One again, however, the internet makes that problem not so much of a problem because once I decide on a course of treatment, I can simply order the meds I need from an offshore pharmacy and proceed to treat myself.
To quote Humble Pie… “I don’t need no doctor!”
Now I’m not so reckless as to advocate that people start self-medicating willy-nilly just because they can, but in an era when the government has declared a war on testosterone, it’s cool that I can educate myself about the issues and then decide my own course of action.
I think this is increasingly becoming the case with many health issues and I’m all for it.
Powered by ScribeFire.
