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As Founder of the National Association of Baby Boomer Women, www.NABBW.com, I have spoken about the Top Ten Trends for Baby Boomer Women. While listening to the Early Show this morning, I was not surprised to hear the term webnosis which I interpretted as people using the internet for a medical diagnosis.
One of my top ten trends for baby boomers is health management. I refer to it this way because boomers want to be involved in their health care. We want to help manage ourselves medically. We do not go to the doctors and respond with “yes sir and no sir” as prior generations have done.
The baby boomer generation does not take what the doctors say as gospel. Baby boomers want to take part in their health care. They do so by researching online and sharing their thoughts and knowledge with doctors who are willing to listen. Often, prior to doctor visits, baby boomers have already made a diagnosis. We want to confer with our doctor to make sure we are correct and treated properly.
I recall when Mom was suffering from lung cancer. My sister was in an online cancer forum and learned about a medication that might help Mom. She shared the medication with Mom’s doctor hoping it would be her cure. He had not heard of the medicine, but quickly did his online research then shared that it wasn’t a good match for Mom. He thanked my sister, sharing that he would certainly consider it for other patients. This is cooperative medicine. This is how doctors who are willing to listen to their patients can practice.
What about you? Do you practice self-diagnosis online? Are your doctors willing to listen and work with you?
