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Can You Trust Health Websites, Apps?

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  • Description

    “Health of a Nation” host Dr. Mitchell Brooks on using the web for health information.

  • Duration 4:10
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This transcript is automatically generated

Have you done it turning to web sites and Smartphone apps to self diagnose your health problems.

How accurate are these -- one study suggests trusting -- can have deadly consequences mr.

doctor Mitchell Brooks host of health of the nation joins me now.

Doctor Brooks center coming on the show and I I you know I am always going on the web looking -- different things that are happening to me in finding out if I if the if maybe there's a problem.

-- -- -- -- Sure.

It really has provided you understand that you're basically looking at things from a 100000 foot view so the detail that you get is consistent with that -- It's 35%.

Of us seek medical advice on the web how -- do you go with.

Well I think it's up to the individual I think the advice that you get is consistent with the symptoms that you think you have.

And I sell I want to emphasize think.

You know are you really being honest with yourself there's an old saw that the person has himself -- A patient has a -- for physician.

I'm.

You know I I think that.

It's good to give you a general outline but if you're only hurting and something's not right I think you should really -- the attention of someone who spent.

Many many years studying these things well -- hands and Gary ahead doctor -- Yeah I was just saying understand -- that you know the two most important things and and and and making a diagnosis is -- history in a thorough physical examination.

And it's more important to find out sometimes what you don't have them what you have.

Well that's that's an interesting point without of the story because of a new study that -- -- cancer apps.

And -- found the accuracy of these apps it's ranged pretty dramatically from 6%.

To 98% what you do is you take a picture of a mall on your body and and may give you a diagnosis now it seems to me.

That it can be wrong lighting can change.

I mean anything could happen.

Yeah I think I think the diagnosis is is good.

As the clarity of the picture in the security of the line and whether you can take that picture from your.

Portable Smart phone and blow it up.

On a large screen.

Also there needs to be a history that goes along with the -- sometimes it's important to feel the mole there are a lot of things involved.

It's not really what we call attacks on me one issue like what's the capital New York the answers Albany.

There are other issues -- -- we'll probably -- -- -- how it can be and this is sometimes right.

How -- I -- with -- -- is is helpful at least minimally.

But that's really good question.

I think that applications that you rely on to make a diagnosis or applications that.

Measure something upon which your doctor is relying.

Those applications should be approved by the FDA.

And the FDA -- kind of behind the curve.

Surprise.

And there now just getting caught up and trying to get.

The system by which they can look into these mobile applications are these mobile medical applications.

And they're going to do it not and I think that it's important.

To find out that these applications do exactly as they say they do -- YCFBAA.

At FDA behind the curve.

Why aren't they up to date this seems to me to be a cutting edge -- something so many people -- How does the government do anything it does Jerry.

While I mean you know knows there's probably all bureaucratic process involved.

In doing something that should have been done years ago I mean clearly people have been using apps for.

A long long time they're 121000 medical apps on iTunes twelve I mean that's.

Twelve -- the FDA's not even advocates yet.

-- there on the case -- trying to evaluate the standards by which they're going to use.

To make recommendations to look at these applications and it's their charge it's a long way to go.

Our federal credit for a short time to get there thanks so much for coming on today it's always great to see you thank you so much take all the apple away put the apple -- -- very.

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