Microsoft Examines Causes of ‘Cyberchondria’

Posted by Kendall Harmon

If that headache plaguing you this morning led you first to a Web search and then to the conclusion that you must have a brain tumor, you may instead be suffering from cyberchondria.

On Monday, Microsoft researchers published the results of a study of health-related Web searches on popular search engines as well as a survey of the company’s employees.

The study suggests that self-diagnosis by search engine frequently leads Web searchers to conclude the worst about what ails them.

Read it all.

Filed under: * Culture-WatchBlogging & the InternetHealth & Medicine

1 Comments
Posted November 26, 2008 at 6:00 am [Printer Friendly] [Print w/ comments]



1. Harvey wrote:

WWW is not an MD.  Any ills I wish to get information about I will get from our family doctor or any specialist she names.

November 26, 3:34 pm | [comment link]
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