internet based advice.. what should one expect from a doctor online? does it bypass consultation?

often people seek online medical advice to save time money and confusion...

Should patients read internet?

We often say; half knowledge is dangerous. Especially we hear in medical field.. media and doctors cribbing about patient reading lots of details on internet. They google the diseases and spoil their mind with lots of queries and bombard a doctor with lots of queries about chance possibilities.
All this is discouraged by many. I do not. A doctor should never be insecure about what patient needs or knows as long as all is done in good faith.

Give a second thought, how can knowledge be dangerous. Knowledge is always a piece of information that is searched for out of curiosity to know understand and to clear confusions when u feel u have no other choice left.
Its likely that there may be wrong books written so also the wrong information provided in media advertisements websites and internet. So its likely that information may be wrong or wrongly interpreted that exactly may harm.

So its responsibility of the doctor to insist for a special consultation to clear knowledge related confusions. The concerns of doctor is probably to save time from such discussions when patient has queries with medical jargon. And thats the reason the doctor insists you not to read nonsense.

No one can have complete knowledge of everything... medical science is not even close to complete knowledge in any disease. We know only the part or piece of available information. So practically every one has limited or half knowledge. Doctor's skill lies in improving his practice by trying for more knowledge and experience. So its the experience of a doctor that becomes key to effective therapy which has grown over years following his curiosity through knowledge.
Thus half knowledge can never kill or harm, its the practice of medicine by a doctor, paramedic,quack,pharmacist,nurse,patient or family member without having adequate experience (and qualification) is dangerous.
so read a lot, know a lot, ask a lot but donot practice/medicate on self or family member or a patient unless a doctor prescribes so.
whatever trivial issue it may look like, it need not be.
Read ask and clear your doubt... but follow only as per prescription.

डॉं कोंडेकर संतोष वेंकटरमण@मुंबई Dr Santosh Kondekar is now also available at Shushrusha hospital Dadar West . Mumbai India. Monday to Friday at 7 to 9 PM. www.kondekar.com Follow @9869405747 DR SK is a qualified pediatrician with MD and DNB qualification, from India who has specialised himself in counselling parents and children about the knowledge and various aspects of child health, illness, treament, diseases and their doctors. Dr SK is working as a pediatric intensivist and respiratory and infections specialist at Seth G S Medical College and KEM Hospital Mumbai India 400012. He has clinical expertise in guiding doctors, patients and also managing various illnesses and / or clinical situations concerning child health and its aspects like: Growth, Development Social and behavioural pediatrics including ADHD Respiratory illnesses including cold,cough, asthma Cardiac illnesses including congenital defects and rheumatic diseases Renal diseases Gastrointestinal diseases including diarrhea, vomiting, infections. hematological illnesses including anemias and hemorrhages. and various infections caused by various bugs like bacteria viruses and fungus. and many other clinical situations, illnesses, diseases. He has special interest in tuberculosis and other infections affecting various body organs and systems. The answers posted at above website are sole opinions of Dr SK with or without references and personal experience. These answers are just hypothetical and logical assesment of the limited information provided by the parent to the doctor in the form. The doctor being not able to examine the patiet and / or being not able to have access to reports, is practically not in a position to make diagnosis orprove it wrong... or suggest any treatment. Treatment suggested by this doctor at this site is just a hypothetical suggestion in agiven hypothetical limited situation which the parent may use for his basic understanding or discussion with his doctor, and for understanding and following basic health norms. Donot follow any prescription just because it was mentioned at this site. The consultation didnot take place, as the doctor has not examined the patient, legally its impossible to give any online prscription. What the doctor had written here is not a prescription for the given hypothetical case.

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