Dementia and diabetes Google searches double in five years

By The Press Association21st May 2015News EnglandDementia, Diabetes, News England

The number of searches on Google about dementia and diabetes have doubled in the past five years, research shows.

Looking up stress reached an all-time high in March while searches for information on back pain were three times higher in January compared to the same month five years ago, Bupa said.

Searches on anxiety had almost tripled and went up by half on depression, although actual figures on the number of searches were not available.

The private healthcare company commissioned a poll, which found that four in five (79%) people turn to the internet for advice but most (84%) find they are confronted with conflicting information leaving them confused and sometimes even more anxious.

It has released tips to help when searching online, such as checking whether the site is accredited by and carries the logo of schemes such as the Information Standard, which ensure the content is accurate and up to date.

Looking at the source, the date and whether it has been reviewed or commented on by healthcare professionals can also help.

More than three-quarters (76%) of the 2,000 people questioned said they would find it useful if medically-approved healthcare advice displayed a “quality mark” from an official regulator, yet nearly the same amount (73%) had not heard of the Information Standard.

Dr Paula Franklin, medical director for Bupa UK, said: “It is hardly surprising that people are feeling confused and frustrated when looking for health advice online, given the amount of information out there.

“People want to know more about their health and well-being than ever before so it is essential that they know where to get trusted and clinically approved advice, and are aware of the risks of reading unqualified health information.”

“There is a clear need for more help in navigating healthcare information online. I strongly urge people to look for one of the many qualified websites that are marked with the Information Standard’s quality mark when searching for health information online, and to always access personal advice from a healthcare professional before taking a course of action.”