Are we turning into a mob of 'cyberchondriacs'?

You know, you're in front of the computer and that niggling pain in your side won't go away - and before you know it you're searching for dull pain in left side. Diverticulitis, pancreatitis, shingles, hernia! Then you read on. Other possible causes: gas, constipation, indigestion.

So are we turning into a mob of "cyberchondriacs"? It's estimated there are about 70,000 health-related searches on Google every minute, and that almost 40 per cent of Australians look for online health information to self-treat.

"We've all been guilty of being cyberchondriacs and googling at the first sign of a niggle or headache," said Edith Cowan University Masters student Michella Hill, lead author of research published in the Medical Journal of Australia.

"But the reality is these websites and apps should be viewed very cautiously as they do not look at the whole picture - they don't know your medical history or other symptoms.

For people who lack health knowledge, they may think the advice they're given is accurate or that their condition is not serious when it may be."

The study looked at 36 international symptom checkers and found they produced the correct diagnosis as the first result 36 per cent of the time, and within the top three results 52 per cent of the time. Advice provided on when and where to seek healthcare was accurate 49 per cent of the time.

Seems it's also advisable to use Australian websites for some information. "We found many of the international sites didn't include some illnesses that exist in Australia, such as Ross River fever and Hendra virus; and they don't list services relevant to Australia," Ms Hill said.

But before you give up altogether, take heart: Ms Hill says online symptom checkers can have a place in the modern health system. While they're not a replacement for seeing your doctor, they can be useful in providing more information once you do have an official diagnosis.

So before consulting the Good Doctor G, perhaps you should head to your regular GP first. Then, you can Google to your heart's content.

The quality of diagnosis and triage advice provided by free online symptom checkers and apps in Australia was published in the Medical Journal of Australia.