Dr. Google or not Dr. Google, that is the question
The internet is an almost inexhaustible source of endless knowledge. Information of all kinds is readily available there. People often also search online for answers concerning their own symptoms or diagnoses, or for information about medications. Because search engines such as Google are usually used for this, the phrase "asking Dr. Google" has become common. However, a healthy skepticism toward the "diagnoses" or information obtained this way should be just as common as this familiar expression. Unfortunately, at least as much false information as reliable information is circulating on the web.
How accurate are the search results?
A German-Russian team studied how well Google and the Russian search engine Yandex can answer health questions. They identified 30 common searches about illnesses and remedies and evaluated the top-ten results from Yandex and Google. They focused on the so-called snippets shown for the first ten results. A snippet is the short preview text displayed for each result.
These previews could be taken by the searcher as a final answer.
These previews could be taken by the searcher as a final answer.
The analysis was sobering. About 44% of Yandex results and about one third of Google results contained untruths or simply false statements. The study also criticized the lack of warnings about possibly toxic substances. Such warnings were found in only about 13% and 10% of the results, respectively.
What is cyberchondria?
Another study examined the effect that searching the internet for a specific symptom has on the person conducting the search. For this purpose, 79 students were asked about a symptom they personally experienced and were then instructed to research it online for a short time - five minutes. Afterward, all participants were more concerned about the symptom they had described than they had been before the research.
This very effect even has a name: it is known as cyberchondria-a term based on hypochondria, which refers to the excessive fear of being or becoming ill, and "cyber," meaning "relating to the internet." Cyberchondria thus refers to increased concern about one's own health due to information found online about the symptoms, diagnoses, medications, etc. searched for.
What lies behind searching the internet for symptoms, medications, or illnesses?
People often look up their symptoms online before a doctor's visit, or they check diagnoses or prescribed medications after seeing a doctor. In other words, it's often driven by a desire for a second (or third, fourth, fifth...) opinion.
Tips
Both are perfectly understandable. However, anyone who asks Dr. Google should check how reliable what they find is. Was the search query precise and specific? Are the results credible for the search you started? The best answers to your question aren't necessarily among the first results. Checking the Imprint, the listed sources, and when the information was last updated helps assess credibility. Be especially cautious with results from internet forums. They often contain poorly validated information. Check them carefully and don't forget to use common sense.
A very good alternative to searching the web is offered by many health insurers, who let you chat with an actual doctor and get information about symptoms, diagnoses, medications, or simply a second opinion that way.
And what about TikTok?
A specialist article looked at the health information on the platform TikTok. Based on a user's behavior, the algorithm suggests short videos it thinks are relevant. That includes videos with health information. The quality of these videos varies widely from very good, accurate contributions to simply false statements. So it's wise to stay skeptical here too and not take every claim at face value.How about Artificial Intelligence (AI)?
Medical research is also increasingly investigating how large language models (LLMs) can be used to answer medical questions from end users. These models, including ChatGPT, show promising approaches but also clear limitations. Answers should always be double-checked, as the technology tends to "hallucinate." This means that completely fabricated facts are presented.
Sources:
https://www.tk.de/techniker/magazin/digitale-gesundheit/spezial/gesundheitskompetenz/dr-google-richtig-nutzen-2103004https://healthcare-in-europe.com/de/news/dr-google-fragen-keine-gute-idee.html
https://www.aerzteblatt.de/nachrichten/128702/Suchmaschinen-liefern-bei-Gesundheitsanfragen-oft-fehlerhafte-Angaben
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3459637.3482141
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyberchondrie
https://www.netdoktor.de/krankheiten/hypochondrie/
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2816695
This article is from Tensana – the leading app since 2011, helping hundreds of thousands of people monitor their blood pressure every day.
Our content is based on carefully researched, evidence-based data and is continuously updated (as of 02/2026).
Author Sabine Croci is a qualified medical assistant with many years of experience in internal medicine and cardiology practices as well as outpatient care, and has headed the specialist editorial team at Tensana since 2015. Thanks to her extensive additional qualifications as an emergency medical technician, first responder, and in various areas of therapy and emergency care, she provides well-founded, practical, and reliably verified information.
Author Sabine Croci is a qualified medical assistant with many years of experience in internal medicine and cardiology practices as well as outpatient care, and has headed the specialist editorial team at Tensana since 2015. Thanks to her extensive additional qualifications as an emergency medical technician, first responder, and in various areas of therapy and emergency care, she provides well-founded, practical, and reliably verified information.
