Ian Hulatt: Online self-assessment of mental health problems could facilitate patients seeking help earlier 

Is the advent of self-diagnosis via the internet the true democratisation of health, or are we a click away from misdiagnosis and unwanted consequences?

If you have a record collection, you will know the sense of dread when your turntable starts to emit a pleasure-spoiling rumble. A quick solution is to replace it immediately, but this is obviously expensive.

So I used an internet search engine to find a potential cause, then with the assistance of a video I found on the web, I soldered in a new motor and saved myself a considerable amount of money.

In short, a simple solution found after making a diagnosis of the problem and finding the answer.

Cyberchondria

Healthcare, it seems, is also going in this direction, with health professionals now lamenting the emergence of a new condition called ‘cyberchondria’.