Every day, physicians and therapists work to keep their patients safe. Medical rumors, misinformation, and an online web of disreputable sources aren’t making their jobs any easier. As anyone who has googled their symptoms and convinced themselves that they’ve got a brain tumor will attest, the internet makes it very easy to self-(mis)diagnose your health problems. And although social media and other digital forums can be a lifeline for some people looking for a diagnosis or community, when that information is wrong, it can put their well-being and even lives in danger.
Unfortunately, this modern impulse to “do your own research” became even more pronounced during the coronavirus pandemic. We asked a number of health-care professionals about how this shifting landscape is changing their profession. They told us that they are being forced to adapt how they treat patients. It’s a wide range of experiences: Some say patients tell them they just want more information about certain treatments because they’re concerned about how effective they are. Others hear that their patients just don’t trust the powers that be. Still others say patients are rejecting evidence-based medicine altogether in favor of alternative theories they’ve come across online.