There has been a rising number of cases where people when sick refer the Internet especially the Wikipedia for health queries and avoid going to the doctor.A recent study has shown that Wikipedia, the online encyclopaedia, contains errors in nine out of 10 of its health entries, and should be treated with caution.

Scientists in the US compared entries about conditions such as heart disease, lung cancer, depression and diabetes with peer-reviewed medical research.They said most articles in Wikipedia contained "many errors". Wikimedia UK, its British arm, said it was "crucial" that people with health concerns spoke to their Doctor first.From a public health standpoint, patients should not use  as a primary resource because those articles do not go through the same peer-review process as medical journals”

The open-access nature has "raised concern" among doctors about its reliability, as it is the sixth most popular site on the internet, the US authors of the research, published in the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, said.

Up to 70% of physicians and medical students use the tool, they say.The 10 researchers across America looked at online articles for 10 of the "most costly" conditions in the US, including osteoarthritis, back problems and asthma. They printed off the articles on 25 April 2012 to analyse, and discovered that 90% of the entries made statements that contradicted latest medical research.

Wikipedia, like any encyclopaedia, should not take the place of a qualified medical practitioner”.Wikipedia also expressed concern at the small sample size used in the research, as it may not be representative.The study did not account for Wikipedia leaving out important information. So the next time you fall sick dont open the Internet and try self medication , visit the nearest doctor.

BBC Health news