Google question your GP might ask you at your next appointment

Google question your GP might ask you at your next appointment A GP has shared the key question he asks his patients at appointments A GP has revealed a question about Google that he asks his patients. He explained that it helps him get to the bottom of their concerns. Many of us turn to our GP surgery when faced with a health problem, yet this is no guarantee of an immediate or accurate diagnosis. Symptoms can be difficult to identify or mistaken for an entirely different condition. With this in mind, Doctor Suraj Kukadia has opened up about some of his methods. Dr Kukadia, widely known as Dr Sooj, took to social media platform TikTok to shed light on his approach. Responding to a commenter, he revealed that he asks patients whether they have "Googled" their symptoms. He said: "As part of my history taking, I do ask my patients sometimes have you googled your symptoms? Is there anything that you're worried about? "Is there something that you would like me to tackle head on that you're really concerned about that might be causing your symptoms? Is there a potential diagnosis that you think could be happening?" This allows him to gain a clearer picture of what is troubling the patient, he explained. Dr Sooj added: "Because it just means that I can really focus my history down on the things that I'm worried about, but also the thing that the patient's worried about. "If I don't ask questions like, what do you think is going on, what are you worried about, what are you hoping that we do, then what if my agenda or the thing that I'm worried about for the patient is completely different to what they're worried about? Then they don't feel heard, and they think I've dismissed their symptoms." He added: "And look, even though you may not Google your symptoms, great. A lot of my patients do, and a lot of patients in general will Google their symptoms, so I have to incorporate that into my history taking." In a previous TikTok video, Dr Sooj also explored why GPs sometimes ask questions that could easily be answered by simply reading through a patient's medical notes, acknowledging that this can be "frustrating". He told his followers: "That can feel really dismissive, and it can feel like they haven't even done the basics. Honestly, this will be as much of a letdown for the doctor as it is for you." He went on to explain that standard 10-minute appointment slots frequently leave GPs with insufficient time to review a patient's complete file, giving them only a brief window to speak with you, listen to your concerns and devise a treatment plan. Dr Sooj said: "In real terms, that means you get about six or seven minutes, max. "So when a doctor asks you something that's already in your record, it's not because they don't care. It's usually because they haven't had time to read through everything, or they want to hear it from you in your own words. "Under a system that's under this much pressure, it's not always possible to give every patient's backstory the time it deserves before the consult starts. I think it's a fair question to ask, especially if your GP doesn't know you well. But I also think it's fair to explain that most of us wish we had more time to spend with you."