Self-diagnosis using online applications to search about the signs and symptoms of

diseases that an individual has been experiencing is the most convenient way of
health consultation that is preferred by a lot of people (Miller, 2015). Mothers
around the globe are mostly in favor of seeking health-related information through
the use of the internet for their children (Kubb & Foran, 2020). Moreover, 35% of US
adults prefer using the internet to search for health-related information for self
diagnosis (Castillo, 2013). Infermedica (2018), a medical company that develops
online-based medical support, developed an application called “Symptomate” to
accommodate people’s demand for instant self-diagnosis. They just have to enter
the signs and symptoms they have been experiencing, answer some inquiries
regarding those signs and symptoms and the analysis will be disclosed in just a
second. Furthermore, symptom checkers are divided into two purposes: self
diagnosis and triage. This software provides vast information of different diagnoses
with their corresponding signs and symptoms and complications for self-diagnosis. It
also provides concerns to patients if it is necessary or urgent to consult a physician
for triage (Bunn et al., 2005; Campbell et al., 2014). Self-service technologies for
medical purposes could be a great help to engage people with the new
technologies that will be more convenient and will gain satisfaction. It could also be
a great support for healthcare organizations in giving their patients some sort of self-
reliance regarding their health conditions (Lamb, 2020).
However, this online software is somehow functional to people in determining if
there is a need for urgent proper medical attention but also contradicts it with a
warning that consumers of these online tools should be careful and do not assume a
conclusion or diagnosis based on the information given by the online-based health
support (Mehrotra, 2015). Self-diagnosis typically begins when a person starts to
browse on search engines such as 267 Psychological Factors Influencing COVID-19
Self-Diagnosis Among Filipino Housewives Angela Kate Ferrer et al.
Google and Yahoo (Fox & Duggan, 2013) and they are labeled as “online diagnosers”.
However, not all health- related information found on search engines is reliable and
other information is low-grade reviewed, and people who supposedly seek proper
medical attention would be misled (North et al., 2012; Black, 2009; Chen & Turner,
2010). One of the concerns of self-diagnosis and challenges to healthcare
practitioners is the negligence to medical intervention. There is a physician who got
charged for negligence after depending on the self-diagnosis of a patient (Latner,
2018). There are thousands of diseases in the world and signs and symptoms are not
limited to a particular condition. Self-diagnosis is not just advisable but it also has
harmful risks for it could lead a person to erroneous treatment (Thatcher, 2021). Due
to the rapid progression of health-related information that can be found online,
people prefer the internet as their main source of health-related information (Kivits,
2006). There is an emerging gap between people who rely on the internet
information and the healthcare practitioners who could certainly provide accurate
diagnosis and treatment. Thus, making the internet the first while medical
practitioners as the second source of health knowledge (Gualtieri, 2009). Self-
diagnosis will be more dangerous when people mistakenly identify the origin of the
illness (Lesser, 2021). The third prominent cause of fatality is medical negligence and
one-fourth in a million population die annually due to inaccuracy in health diagnosis
(Sipherd, 2018). In the Philippines, “Bahala Na” as a concept became unfavorable
amidst pandemic due to Filipinos who are afraid to consult a physician (BrandRoom,
2021). The Department of Health (DOH) stated that many COVID-19 deaths are
associated with negligence to proper medical intervention (Ramos, 2021).