<p>Feeling edgy or upset for no apparent reason, you Google your symptoms.<br /><br /></p>.<p> It turns out to be nothing serious and your fears are unfounded. More than 60 percent of Americans get their health information online, and a majority of those decide whether to see a doctor based on what they find, a study reveals.<br /><br />"Wow, this is an era of self-diagnosis," thought Arizona State University psychologist Virginia Kwan, learning that statistic. How might information accessed online affect individual health decisions?<br />Kwan and colleagues found that the way information is presented-specifically, the order in which symptoms are listed-makes a significant difference, the journal Psychological Science reported.<br /><br />"People irrationally infer more meanings from a 'streak’"- an uninterrupted series whether of high rolls of the dice or disease symptoms of consecutively reported symptoms. If they check off more symptoms in a row, the research found, "they perceive a higher personal risk of having that illness," said Kwan, according to a university statement.<br /><br />The findings could prove useful for public health education, Kwan said: "With certain types of illnesses, people tend to seek medical attention at the latest stage."<br /><br />Meanwhile, "People also go to doctors asking all the time about illnesses that are very rare," added Kwan.<br />--Indo-Asian News Service</p>
<p>Feeling edgy or upset for no apparent reason, you Google your symptoms.<br /><br /></p>.<p> It turns out to be nothing serious and your fears are unfounded. More than 60 percent of Americans get their health information online, and a majority of those decide whether to see a doctor based on what they find, a study reveals.<br /><br />"Wow, this is an era of self-diagnosis," thought Arizona State University psychologist Virginia Kwan, learning that statistic. How might information accessed online affect individual health decisions?<br />Kwan and colleagues found that the way information is presented-specifically, the order in which symptoms are listed-makes a significant difference, the journal Psychological Science reported.<br /><br />"People irrationally infer more meanings from a 'streak’"- an uninterrupted series whether of high rolls of the dice or disease symptoms of consecutively reported symptoms. If they check off more symptoms in a row, the research found, "they perceive a higher personal risk of having that illness," said Kwan, according to a university statement.<br /><br />The findings could prove useful for public health education, Kwan said: "With certain types of illnesses, people tend to seek medical attention at the latest stage."<br /><br />Meanwhile, "People also go to doctors asking all the time about illnesses that are very rare," added Kwan.<br />--Indo-Asian News Service</p>