How great is the internet? We’ve got more information at our fingertips than ever before, and it’s a great way to kill some time. It’s never been easier to find out just how many films Leo’s done, who wore what at the Grammys or just how much that red telephone box is going for on eBay.
Yep, the internet’s a pretty great place to get lost in and you can burn a few hours by just following your nose from one search to another.
But there’s a lot of things that it’s not so great for, like finding out just how sick you are.
Whether it’s a dose of Man Flu, a really weird lump or something truly bizarre, we’ve all put our strange symptoms into a search engine from time to time.
This new behaviour’s even got a name, and it’s called Cyberchondria.
There’s a lot of exotic diseases out there, and it’s pretty fun to check them out. But when you put forward even the most common of symptoms into a search engine, like a headache and a runny nose, you can get some alarming suggestions.
And most of us have probably been scared senseless by some of the ‘diagnoses’ we get staring back at us.
But here’s the thing. You can’t really trust Dr Web. The info you’re getting could be coming from anywhere, and it can cause you a lot of unnecessary anxiety (which might even lead you to avoid seeing a doctor for fear of the worst).
And even if you do get some sort of medically accurate advice, how can you get any better without actually seeing a doctor? The only way to really know what you should do next, is to speak to a qualified medical professional.
It’s just a lot easier to just do some quick fact finding on the sofa with your phone in one hand and a cuppa in the other.
With demand for online diagnosis on the up, enter babylon. The easy way to get advice you can trust from medical professionals on your phone or laptop, just as easily as using a search engine. It’s your own, complete virtual health service, in your pocket.
With babylon you can have the best of both worlds by asking as many medical questions as you can think of and get fast, reliable advice in a flash, or text one of the babylon medical doctors for a response in minutes — no appointment required, and you still don’t need to leave the house.
And if it turns out that there is something to worry about, you can book a video consultation with a registered doctor in-app for the same day. With easy access to specialists and therapists, you can find a trusted source of medical advice to put your fears at rest.
For just £5 a month, you can access unlimited mobile appointments on the babylon app. Given the average waiting time for a GP appointment has leapt from 10 days in 2015 to a projected 17 in 2017, why wait so long when you could get a diagnosis in minutes?
Should you require further assistance, the GMC registered doctors on babylon can send you for referrals or diagnostic tests. They’ll even send prescriptions to your nearest pharmacy or direct to your door, if you want to stay under the duvet.
As 65% of 16–24 year olds would trust a health website or app as their primary source of healthy living information, babylon is that dependable source linking health professionals and AI technology together — giving you the assurance and advice you long for in a quick, reliable way.
As babylon founder Dr. Ali Parsa points out: “Sending a rocket to Mars is difficult. We just want to put GPs on an app.”
So, don’t ask the internet. Ask a real doctor on babylon.
Sources:
- Pulse Today: Average Waiting Time for a GP Appointment Increases 30% in a Year
- Google Official Blog: A Remedy for your Health-Related Questions: Health Info in the Knowledge Graph
- Express: Apps are More Trusted by Young People for Medical Advice
- Popsci: Your Online Diagnosis is Probably Wrong
