Yes, your doctor might Google you
Information doctors find out about you online may affect your treatment. But not all of it is accurate or relevant. from www.shutterstock.com
Merle Spriggs, University of Melbourne
When we think about Google and health, we usually think about patients searching online for health information. But you may be surprised that some doctors Google you. 
An Australian survey of how doctors use social media found about 16% (about one in six) had searched for online information about a patient, with roughly similar results from studies in the US and Canada.
This raises several ethical concerns. For instance, what if your doctor’s search through your Facebook, blog or Twitter feeds revealed aspects about your lifestyle, like drug or alcohol use, you didn’t tell your doctor directly? What if that information influenced your access to surgery?
Why doctors Google patients
Some doctors say they Google their patients to gather more information about them or to discover the “truth”. Armed with that information, they say they can better care for their patients and improve their health.
For instance, a doctor may see a patient with depression’s online account of wanting to end his life as an opportunity to take action and prevent a bad outcome. Or a doctor may find out about adolescent high-risk behaviour they are not likely to talk about, like drug abuse or risky sexual behaviour, and see that as an opportunity to protect them from harm.
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