Is Giving Advice On A Health Forum Wise?

[garro]

I think that this health part of the forum is very useful but with the exception of the drinking section I try to avoid posting in it too much. I am always worried that the advice given could cause more harm than good. I frequently see posts where somebody describes symptoms which indicate to me what could be going on, but I hesitate about replying. I am a qualified nurse and have quite a bit of medical/surgical knowledge and this had made me probably more hesitant about giving advice. Of course, I'm no doctor.

I am sure that there are many here that are likely even more qualified than me and wonder if they feel the same sense of hesitation. My advice to anybody describing symptoms to me is always for them to go see a doctor. I suppose that this comes from experience of minor symptoms sometimes indicating something much more sinister. I would be appaled if my advice put somebody on the wrong path.

How do others feel about this. Is it good to give advice on a health forum.

[moldy]

I think that this health part of the forum is very useful but with the exception of the drinking section I try to avoid posting in it too much. I am always worried that the advice given could cause more harm than good. I frequently see posts where somebody describes symptoms which indicate to me what could be going on, but I hesitate about replying. I am a qualified nurse and have quite a bit of medical/surgical knowledge and this had made me probably more hesitant about giving advice. Of course, I'm no doctor.

I am sure that there are many here that are likely even more qualified than me and wonder if they feel the same sense of hesitation. My advice to anybody describing symptoms to me is always for them to go see a doctor. I suppose that this comes from experience of minor symptoms sometimes indicating something much more sinister. I would be appaled if my advice put somebody on the wrong path.

How do others feel about this. Is it good to give advice on a health forum.

It's a very fair point. I've cringed when I've seen a poster come on with a sore throat and before you know it he's being advised to check it out for cancer. But I think with general problems it's good to bounce about a bit of advice. We have the moderators too, who can correct mistakes.

[Dakhar]

As long as individuals stay within their scope of practice... I see no harm. If you see questionable information, ask for qualifications?

[Sheryl]

Garro,

I'm also a nurse and I do give advice on this forum. The main risk is that people often fail to give full information. Sometimes I will ask for more information first, otherwise I will build into my answer the necessary caveats, e.g. ässuming no histiory of heart disease"or ässuming you are not on any long term medications"..

And I will often say things like "based on the information you have provided"because, of course, that is the limiting factor.

But knowing the situation in LOS, especially for those who live upcountry where quality of medical care isn't very good, I feel that it is on the balance helpful to respond.

Another point is that, here in Thailand, a very wide range of drugs are sold over the counter that in other places would be by presecription only. This plus the fact that many Thai doctors simply prescribe based on symptoms lead a lot of people to just self-treat and it is understandable. By giving advice, the chances that they will do so intelligently or at least not harmfully is I think increased, and also cases that really need to see a doctor can be so advised along with some info on what type of doctor to see.

I think if one always tells people to see a doctor they will just tune that out, whereas if that advise is given only when what has been reported indicates a potential danger, it is more likely to be heeded.

And, quite a bit of the advice I give concerns recommendations for specific doctors/hospitals/clinics, since simply going to the doctor in Thailand is no guarantee of even a physical examination let alone solid diagnosis. There are top notch dopctors and specialists of all kionds here, don't misunderstand me, but the level of care by the average GP, especially upcountry, is not what you would find in the West.

But that's my feeling...I'm sure there are other people who rhave the training to give informed advise but refrain from doing so, for the reasons you mentioned. It's a personal decision.

[Dakhar]

Another thought....

Due to the vast language barrier (for me) the ability to come to a health care/advice forum is a great help. Especially, one targeted for those that live in Thailand.

It is very frustrateing to have one's health on the line and have a since of helplessness.

[DavidS]

IMHO, when I post anything here, I welcome the advice of others who may be more knowledgeable about the issue, or may have prior experience to share.

As has been stated here before, nothing beats having a qualified professional standing in front of you. But gaining more knowledge from members here, as well as from medical sites, I believe makes any necessary trip to the doctors that much better. Being better prepared, one can discuss the options in a more meaningful way.

In the same fashion, I usually google for more info on meds that I am prescribed. I often find that the doctor has neglected to inform me of minor side effects, like possibility of a little stomach upset. Knowing about it saves me wondering what and where I ate something wrong.

So for those who take the trouble to share their knowledge and experience, I would say please continue to do so. There are sensible caveats in earlier posts that would apply in any situation.

[garro]

Hi Sheryl, I agree with much you say, and I know that you do provide good advice. It is just the accountability issue that bothers me. Anybody can give advice on a forum and anybody does. It seems the least knowlegeable are often the most forceful in their arguments. If they give bad advice it's not like they are going to get any comeback on it.

Many people, who post about symptoms, are just looking to hear that there is no problem and these are the posts they will often fix on. There might be ten posts saying this could be a big problem but people will often just go with the post that says, 'it is just a bug'.

It is good that someone like your self is willing to give advice and there is a need for it. I just don't feel comfortable with it. I don't even give this type of advice to friends and family, even when I have a fair idea what's going on.

[PeaceBlondie]

I just had my latest 90-day checkup with the neurologist who treated me for a stroke last May. I trust him because he pays attention, Western style, and because he's a professor at the medical school. He spent maybe five minutes with me (not bad, for a tenth of what his equal could charge in the West). But on this forum, I've gained lots of expert advice from Sheryl and others regarding side effects of medication, other conditions to look for, etc.

[mr_hippo]

Like Sheryl & Garro, I am also a nurse. I will not give an internet diagnosis - I can't but I can hazard a good guess as to what you have but would never say in reply to e.g. "My eye is very red and itchy" that you have conjunctivitis and the treatment is.... as Sheryl says we need a full history because if you miss out some information that seems trivial to you may be vital!

We all have well meaning amateurs here on the internet who always advise antibiotics for a sore throat without knowing the past history of the poster. It reminds me of some patients of mine when I used to manage a clinic in Saudi Arabia - they would storm into my office with "I have been reading 'I am John's throat in the Reader's Digest and I want ...." sorry but I will examine you and give you what you need!

What always puzzles me is that poster say that they have been suffering from 'X' for 6 days, what can I do? Why have they left it so long? It is worse when it is their baby or child.

[Beardog]

I think it is OK to post advice as long as you have a personal experience in the scope of what the OP is asking. On all posts it is a good idea to talk about what you know about or have read in print many times & have verified the info. On the internet it is important as Sheryl pointed out: without knowing exactly all the ins & outs it is hard to make a diagnosis. and even just as important, to not traumatize the poster to think cause you have had what they are talking about or Know someone with the symptoms That they are........

Rather if all the info not present give the info you have the cost & the basic tests (if you know what the hospital is going to do anyway) Self medication is a personal thing & probably be only done to yourself -if you are aware enough of your body & have gone through the same thing before. What is good for your regiment most likely will not be the same for others. If your not sure best to go see the Doc. Or at least see if Sheryl is online! I have gotten some very good responses from this forum!

[gunnyd]

I didn't realize there were so many nurses on this board including myself. The standard I use when putting in my advice in the forum is: 1. Is this something I have dealt with in a clinical setting or have personal experience with? 2. Has someone already given a good answer to the question (usually Sheryl). I also have to chime in when someone is giving out patently bad, or alarmist replies to the OP. It's generally bad to scare the living bejeezus out of someone with a real problem with bad info. Then I am compelled to speak.

I treat this forum like when I visit my relatives in Cebu City. I become an honorary doctor when I visit the in-laws and give them advice when I know and send them to see a doctor if I am unsure or don't know. Plus when you are a Westerner being seen in a foreign hospital you need to be armed with as much information as you can get and ask your doctor questions and tell them your concerns. I'd like to think that we provide people reading this topic that information.

Cheers to all the other Florence Nightingales out there in TV land,

GunnyD

[mrtoad]

I'm another RN, although Mental Health/Learning Disability trained. I find it difficult to give advice, on a forum about individual cases, as Sheryl has quite rightly pointed out, quite often there is a lack of detailed information. I think there is some helpful stuff on here, but people should be aware that it is only a forum, and they should actually go and see a healthcare professional face to face if they are concerned about a health issue.

No wonder, the west is so short of nurses, there's bloody tons of us here.

[katana]

I think the information on here is useful, as doctors get it wrong sometimes, too. In this thread Sheryl correctly diagnosed a punctured lung in someone who posted here for help, while the doctor who inadvertently caused it dismissed it.

[geriatrickid]

One of the unfortunate aspects of the internet is that it allows people to "shop" for the answer they want to read. The difference here is that once someone grabs something off a website such as WebMD, they can bounce it off people. Many of the situations presented in this forum are from people looking to see if someone has similar issues and how those people coped with them. The forum also serves a vital function of providing comfort and hope to folks that are in a desperate predicament and are of the belief that their options are limited. More often than not, the forum provides a non judgemental place to get the shove to seek proper care. Every post I have read in here where there is a medical issue always has multiple recommendations to seek a consult with a health professional. I think it is understood by everyone that the only people qualified to give a specific medical opinion are the health care providers that have actually examined and diagnosed the patient and that's what alot of the posts say.

[Beardog]

No wonder the info is pretty good in this forum . I hadn't realized how many nurses are on this site!

[Orion76]

Case in point, advice given in another recent thread on skin cancer:

Always best to get a specialist to check you out but if it is superficial skin cancer on the arms/legs, the application to the area with the sap of a green Papaya will normally clear it up, I have had friends who have used it with great results. (Check it out on the net!!)

[moldy]

I've had some top tips from this site too I must say.

With things like allergies and sinusitis, probably lots of other things too, there's always stories to be told and experiences shared as well as medicine talk.

Maybe each posting should have an automatic warning/disclaimer in red- something like that, because OP has a fair point.

(now as there are so many nurses I've got this pain ri........................... no. just joking.)

[desi]

How do others feel about this. Is it good to give advice on a health forum.

When I was in my late 20's I started getting ill. It affected my sleep, my temper, my home life, and worse, my ability to care for my son in the manner any child deserved.

At the time I was in the US. I went to many doctors. I was passed around from one to the other.

In my 30's it got so bad that I was put in the hospital to run test after test.

Switched HMO's. My new doc was surprised at all the test taken. The same test apparently. Over and over and over. I wasn't paying for it by test (insurance) but my HMO was. What I was paying for was the time it took. Days off work. Stress. And of course, lack of sleep. And my son (obviously) suffered.

Moved to the UK. Back to running tests. Nadda.

Moved to Europe. Same story. Nadda. But they sure ran the tests ...

Moved to some little country under the equator and they figured out a bit of it. A BIG bit actually. Bless their hole-in-the-wall medical situation.

When I presented the solution to the UK doctors the response was, 'Oh, that's a standard for your condition'.

By then I was in my 40's. TEN plus years out of my life. Ten years of insomnia. Panic attacks. Loss of work. Lost time with my son. And a husband who'd gone through hel_l.

Thanks. Thanks a blinking lot.

But, even with it all, it wasn't all perfect. It cured the insomnia (mostly) but not the rest.

Finally, the internet came to the country I was living in. I researched as best I could (this was before google). I visited forum after forum.

It wasn't until I was headed back to the UK that I came across a solution which seemed right to me. A solution found on a forum. A forum run by someone with a medical background. Just like some of those we have here. And moving to the UK, the medicine was available.

I requested the medicine on arrival. Done deal. The rest of the problem? Solved.

So in answer to your question, "Is it good to give advice on a health forum?"

A resounding YES.

And bless those that do.

[ProThaiExpat]

Without getting too word picky, there is a world of difference between sharing ones experience and knowledge in the medical field and rendering a differential diagnosis.

I have seen few of the latter and mostly the former.

Sheryl is always around to correct a misstatement when one occurs, as lopburi3 does for visas. Thus sharing your experience is valuable, rendering a medical opinion in this forum is akin to "do it yourself brain surgery" ill advised.

I am grateful for all of the replies, as I think I can distinguish the ill informed from the knowledgeable and the internet awaits for confirmation of anything said. Besides, I watch "er" religiously and can say "peritoneal lavage" with the best of them.

[FBN]

Most valuable on this forum for me is the feedback from actual sufferers from conditions discussed. Advice, even from those who know, can only go so far..

Advice posted here is done on good faith and in the spirit of "helping out" where one can but it is not and should not be seen as the ultimate resource to solve medical problems; it should be seen simply for what it is, a forum for discussion, no more, no less..

Talking about an issue is half the cure, not so?

[kat]

I have found Sheryl's advice and feedback on this forum extremely helpful. Of course, online diagnosis can never substitute for a visit to the doctor, but it is very helpful in the informational stages of determining whether a visit is necessary. I am one that tries to educate myself as much as possible, and seek multiple, well-informed perspectives besides my doctor. And, it's a good thing too, because I've correctly diagnosed myself at least twice in contrast to the doctor's incorrect diagnosis. Sheryl recently helped me with a diagnosis that was confirmed by a friend who is a doctor, and I was able to get proper medication prescribed.

Thanks Sheryl! There are always risks involved, but if both sides are aware of the both the limitations and risks it can be incredibly helpful.

[Chris Lawrence]

Case in point, advice given in another recent thread on skin cancer:

Always best to get a specialist to check you out but if it is superficial skin cancer on the arms/legs, the application to the area with the sap of a green Papaya will normally clear it up, I have had friends who have used it with great results. (Check it out on the net!!)

How could you trust a wombat?

What you do need to be careful of is snake oil and other peoples opinion. I have found some discussion to be emotionaly supportive.

[yeti]

Like others I have received good advice here, from people having the same problem has mine after i had a diagnostic done by seeing a dcotor (someone who has suffered from a lumbago can often tell a lot more to a newbie than a doctor who never experienced it), or from Sheryl (who I guessed had a medical background) in order to know which doctor I should see.

I think most people understand the limitations of a medical forum, so if you have a real knowledge about the question asked you should post, if only to help the person asking determine the seriousness of his symptoms.

[mamanoodle]

I am also a registered nurse(psychiatric) and sometimes read this forum but only post when I feel I can help, but only things that I am certain about, and know I can be of assistance to the poster of the query. Also I have gained a lot of good advice from this forum, and agreed with many qualified posters answers, and would have given the same advice if I had more confidence to do so, or had gotten in there first on a certainty.