One in Four People in the UK Self-Diagnose Illnesses

A new report reveals that 21.8% of people in the United Kingdom have chosen self-diagnosis of their symptoms online because they were unable to get a doctor’s appointment, or because their doctor wasn’t available quickly enough.

The UK Digital Health Report, published by PushDoctor (Stourbridge, United Kingdom), is based on data derived from Google regarding 61 million UK internet searches for 160 leading health issues, as well as a consumer survey of 1,013 UK adults. The results offer insights on how consumers use technology to manage and maintain their health in 2015. According to the report, patients in the UK are becoming impatient and are not interested in changing plans to accommodate appointments to see their GP.

The data analyzed shows that the trend for self-diagnosing is increasing, and is up 19% over the last 12 months. The research also found that the internet is currently the first place people go for advice when starting to feel unwell, applicable to all age groups under 65 years old. Liverpool is the self-diagnosis capital of the UK, according to the data, with a higher proportion of searches coming from that area than anywhere else in the UK. Cardiff, Surrey, London, and Sheffield follow closely behind in the top five places with the most health-related internet searches.

Common health searches include back pain, diarrhea, and depression, with certain areas in the UK more preoccupied with some of the most commonly searched terms than others. While back pain and depression were most commonly searched in Liverpool, those in Essex were particularly concerned about sexually transmitted illness (STI) and reproduction issues, while those in Surrey were most likely to search for more serious conditions such as lupus and meningitis.

“The findings indicate the extent to which people are now using technology to manage their health,” said Adam Simon, MD, chief medical officer of PushDoctor, a National Health Service (NHS, London United Kingdom) commissioned online service that connects UK general practitioners through secure video consultations. “As well as health searches being on the rise, 58% of people now actively use technology to manage their health and wellbeing on a daily basis.”

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