Microsoft Study Suggests Internet Web Surfing Increases Anxiety

By: Bill Waters
Staff Writer
Published: Nov 26, 2008

Microsoft researchers conducted a Web search study to learn that people face risk of health anxiety. The term of this illness is called cyberchondria. People who feel ill and search for content for a diagnosis could mistake a headache for a brain tumor

Microsoft Corp has published a new study described as "cyberchondria." People who search the Internet to as a way to determine a health diagnosis often mistake a medical problem based on what they read.

For instance, a person with a minor headache could search the Internet for content matching their symptoms. The search results could mistake the headache as a brain tumor which escalates their medical concerns. This is known as cyberchondria.

"A brain tumor is a concerning possibility when a searcher experiences headache," Ryen White and Eric Horvitz wrote in the published study. "However, the probability of a brain tumor given a general complaint of headache is typically quite low," the study suggests.

The researchers said that such escalations from common symptoms to serious concerns may lead to unnecessary anxiety, investment of time, and expensive engagements with healthcare professionals. This can especially occur if the Web surfer has no background in medical training.

Cyberchondria is also described as an increase in health anxiety based on the review of Web content.

"However, the Web has the potential to increase the anxieties of people who have little or no medical training, especially when Web search is employed as a diagnostic procedure," the researchers said.

Another example would be Web surfers experiencing heart burn and chest pains but read something matching their symptoms as a heart attack.

The researchers also surveyed the online health-related searches of 515 individuals. They found that eight in 10 American adults have searched for healthcare information on the Internet.