I often joke that if you search through my browser history… you will be mortified.
Look, it’s not that I have extraordinarily strange or off-the-cuff search terms; it’s just that I search health-related subjects – you know, those pertaining to symptoms and/or side effects – here and there. Okay, frequently. Fine, ALL THE TIME.
You too? Fellow hypochondriacs, I may have found the answer.
It’s no secret that more and more Canadians rely on “Dr. Google” for health advice. We want information – fast – and we don’t always have the time to wait in a doctor’s office for, ahem, professional advice.
Notice that I italicized professional advice? That’s because there’s a clear difference between seeing a qualified doctor vs. an internet search; Dr. Google does not diagnose – he simply leads you down a dark path where 80% of the time, your symptoms point to cancer. I know, I’ve been there, too.
But *why* do we put so much faith in random information online? It’s quite simple – we are short on time, short on patience, and when we want our questions answered (especially those related to our health), we want the information at our fingertips. But did you know that 50-70% of diagnoses do not require a hands-on physical examination? Using telemedicine, doctors are already safely and effectively treating millions of patients around the world for common medical conditions, including: eye and ear infections, cold and flu, urinary tract infections, allergic reactions, skin issues and rashes, vomiting and diarrhea, sexual health issues, mental health concerns, and many more, as well as providing sick notes and prescribing medications online as necessary.
That’s why I want to introduce you to Maple. …