{"ID":2862270,"CreatedAt":"2026-06-01T04:54:23.091178241Z","UpdatedAt":"2026-06-01T04:54:23.091178241Z","DeletedAt":null,"paper_url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.03329","arxiv_id":"2510.03329","title":"When Patients Go to \"Dr. Google\" Before They Go to the Emergency Department","abstract":"Approximately one-third of adults search the internet for health information before visiting an emergency department (ED), with 75% encountering inaccurate content. This study examines how such searches influence patient care. We conducted an observational study of ED visits over a 12-month period, surveying 214 of 576 patients about pre-ED internet use. Data on demographics, comorbidities, acuity, orders, prescriptions, and dispositions were extracted. Patients who searched were typically younger, healthier, and more educated. Most used a general search engine to ask symptom-related questions. Compared to non-searchers, they were less likely to receive lab tests (RR 0.78, p=0.053), imaging (RR 0.75, p=0.094), medications (RR 0.67, p=0.038), or admission (RR 0.68, p=0.175). They were more likely to leave against medical advice (RR 1.67, p=0.067) and receive opioids (RR 1.56, p=0.151). Findings suggest inaccurate health information may contribute to mismatched expectations and altered care delivery.","short_abstract":"Approximately one-third of adults search the internet for health information before visiting an emergency department (ED), with 75% encountering inaccurate content. This study examines how such searches influence patient care. We conducted an observational study of ED visits over a 12-month period, surveying 214 of 576...","url_abs":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.03329","url_pdf":"https://arxiv.org/pdf/2510.03329v1","authors":"[\"Michael A Grasso\",\"Alexandra Rogalski\",\"Naveed Farrukh\",\"Anantaa Kotal\",\"Enrique Calleros\"]","published":"2025-10-01T18:26:56Z","proceeding":"cs.CY","tasks":"[\"cs.CY\"]","methods":"[]","has_code":false}