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| Clinical Conditions / Googleitis |
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Although the condition of goggleitis is not well defined in the medical literature (in fact to our knowledge we were this first to us the term as described herein), it is a condition that is easily recognized by both patients and clinicians. The classic presentation is the onset of an acute anxiety reaction following a goggle search of a personal medical condition. The reader experiences progressive
apprehension as she becomes aware of unanticipated controversies, complication, and side effects of treatment. Personal stories from patients with similar diagnosis, but catastrophic outcomes, will often add to the reader’s anxiety.
For most people the benefits of surfing the web outweigh the risk of goggelitis. However, newly diagnosed breast cancer patient who plan to surf the web should be aware of this condition and be prepared to deal with symptoms. The first step in preparation would be to select web sights that are sponsored by major organization such as NIH or Koman.
Our approach to avoiding the pitfalls of googlitis is provide our newly diagnosed breast cancer patients is call them as soon as we have the diagnosis and arrange for an office visit ASAP. We try to answer as many questions on the phone as requested by the patient. At the end of the phone conversation we often advise the patient to not surf the web until we have had time to discuss her case in more detail at the next office visit. We usually suggest that the women review the section “Just Diagnosed” (see link) in this website. If the patient is inclined to surf the web we suggest that she start with our recommended links
More Information: Helpful Links
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