Self Diagnosis by Phone?

I was reading the online journal at MedGadget.com, when I came across an article entitled "101 Things to Do with a Mobile Phone in Healthcare." I love my cell phone, but I wound up feeling a bit nervous.

The article detailed the growing phenomena of patients diagnosing themselves:

"When sites offering medical advice first appeared on the World Wide Web few GPs believed that, within a decade, they would encounter patients who used the Internet to become specialists in a particular ailment. Before the arrival of the 'informed patient' the GP was expected to provide a diagnosis, then recommend a course of treatment. Today many patients believe they already have a diagnosis and merely wish to have it confirmed by a series of tests. The question is no longer 'Doctor what is wrong with me?' but 'Doctor when can my treatment begin?' Mobile and wireless ehealth will enhance and broaden the scope of this type of self diagnosis. "

They go on to mention the growing number of companies such as Intelligent Medical Systems and Xenetec, and the credibility their experienced clinicians are giving to the products they offer. The report they cite believes this will create "peer pressure" in the industry, causing healthcare professionals to "encourage the automation of clinical processes."

This reminds me of the old saying, "cutting off your nose to spite your face." To keep up with the Joneses, we in the healthcare field are going to surrender our work to machines? I suppose this would be an improvement in the sense that at least they wouldn't envy one another.

I found this sentence to be particularly chilling:
"Companies such as Card Guard and Vitaphone are offering suites of wireless ehealth applications - which include blood pressure, heart rate and blood glucose monitoring - to patients, with or without the support of a conventional healthcare provider."

Of course, I hope technology helps people to take better care of themselves. While some patients who read up on their illnesses online can be difficult, many use what they've learned to help their doctor figure out what's wrong. It would be foolish to condemn technology that demystifies healthcare and empowers the patient.

However, I think it is very dangerous to convince people that they know how to treat their illnesses without the assistance of a medical professional. It's one thing to offer a tool to aid a diagnosis, and quite another to push a product to replace a rigorously trained professional.