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Doctors say they know best: Lay off the WebMD






Dr. Daniel Broughton, a pediatrician at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., said there had been several occasions when parents had entered his office certain that their child, who doesn’t pay attention in class or ignores instructions, was suffering from attention deficit disorder based on a medical Web site’s diagnosis. In many of those cases, he said, the child was no different from any other bouncy, energetic or restless youngster. “They just need to mature more,” he said.

The situation has gotten so bad at times that Broughton has warned a few of his patients to stay away from medical Web sites, especially when he’s still evaluating their condition and has not determined a diagnosis.





Dr. David Amler, a pediatrician in White Plains, N.Y., said that a few years ago several medical Web sites reported that certain types of vaccinations, including those for measles, mumps and rubella, had mercury in them and could cause autism. After reading such information, patients across the country refused to get the vaccination for themselves or their children, although most researchers believe autism is a genetic condition.

“They over-read everything,” Amler said. “It immobilizes them to some degree.”



Many doctors agree that sites like WebMD can be beneficial when used as a research tool. Accurate information on a particular disease can help create a more well-informed patient capable of asking specific questions aimed at easing any medical concerns.

The problem is that too many people don’t use the sites as a simple research tool. They use the sites to determine what ails them. That, many doctors say, creates unnecessary anxiety until a patient sees a doctor.

“I think it is threatening for people to have this access,” Amler said. “They pick the worst diagnosis for everything.”