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Statement 1 A. Most of my patients do not start self-medicating after their online search to gather health information. B. Most of my patients do not start self-medicating after their online search to gather health information. If they do so, they do it mainly when they have benign symptoms or on the advice of significant others. Statement 2 A. The online search for health information does not influence the confidence of the patient in their GP. B. The online search for health information does not influence the confidence of the patient in their GP. Statement 3 A. The online search for health information does not make my patients experience additional symptoms. B. The online search for health information does not make my patients experience additional symptoms. Some people will be more likely to do so, such as patients in their 20s and 30s and patients with tendencies toward hypochondria. Statement 4 A. The online search for health information does not influence the severity of my patient’s symptoms. B. The online search for health information does not influence the severity of my patient’s symptoms. Statement 5 A. I do not have the feeling that the online search for health information makes my patients more anxious. B. I do not have the feeling that the online search for health information makes my patients more anxious, although naturally anxious people often become more anxious after the search. Moreover, this is probably the group of patients that searches the most on the internet for health information. Statement 6 A. If I know that my patient searched online to gather health information, this will complicate the consultation. B. If I know that my patient searched online to gather health information, this will not influence the consultation in a negative way. First of all, there is the possibility that we will come together to a broader differential diagnosis. Secondly, I can easily respond to the patient’s ideas, concerns, and expectations and patients will hesitate less to ask for specific diagnostic tests. This can lead to an interesting dialogue. Statement 7 A. If patients tell me about the information they found on the internet, I can discuss this during the assessment and plan. For example, I can give them websites where they can find health information in the future. B. If patients tell me about the information they found on the internet, I will put that information in perspective. For example, I can give them websites where they can find health information in the future. |