A GP has shared the question he sometimes asks patients during consultations
A GP has shared a question about Google that he asks his patients. He explained that it helps him better understand their worries.
Many of us visit our GP surgery when confronted with a health issue, but this does not always guarantee a swift or correct diagnosis. Symptoms can prove challenging to pinpoint or may be confused with a completely different condition. With this in mind, Doctor Suraj Kukadia has revealed some of his techniques. Dr Kukadia, widely known as Dr Sooj, used social media platform TikTok to explain his approach. In response to a commenter, he disclosed 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 enables him to build a clearer understanding of what is concerning 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 addressed why GPs occasionally ask questions that could seemingly be answered by simply looking through a patient’s medical records, accepting 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 continued by explaining that the typical 10-minute appointment slots often leave GPs with inadequate time to examine a patient’s full file, affording them just a narrow opportunity to speak with you, hear your concerns and formulate 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.”



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