The role the Internet plays as the public’s information source has shifted in recent years. One of these manifestations is the accessibility of medical information posted online.

We now live in a world where doctors can often seem obsolete as the Internet is offering free medical advice, diagnosis and treatment without the queue. A service with does have obvious advantages as well as providing a sense of security to anxiety sufferers (Stark 2010) and consumers desperate for a quick-fix of information.   But, what are the implications?  

Well the nature of the Internet means it’s a platform, which does not have filtering, or a code of credibility. It’s essentially a public, faceless sphere. Anyone can call themselves ‘doctor’ or sound like a trustworthy source (whether this is driven my malicious intentions or not.) This means not all the information is factual which can cause misdiagnosis, leading to even more serious implications. This is highlighted by The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrics and the Australian Psychological Society “seriously ill patients could miss out on appropriate care if they rely solely on online programs” with the possibility of failing to detect serious illness (Stark 2010).

In her blog, Nothingbutafilmstudent