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Original poster

MN policy on medical advice

35 replies

sycamore54321 · 14/07/2016 01:39

I tried looking but I don't see it. What is the MNHQ policy on medical advice? Specifically on posters strongly urging people to ignore their own doctors?

I see it repeatedly in the pregnancy and childbirth threads. The 'default' position appears to be to decline induction, choose VBAC, ignore all sorts of warning signs, keep medical-forum-shopping until you find some midwife who will say what you want to hear while ignoring every other doctor who said the opposite, no acknowledgement of what the OP has described as enormous risk factors. It terrifies me that we could be witnessing posters cheerleading women into decisions that risk their health, fertility and lives, not to mention the health and lives of their babies.

On most other mainstream boards, I see a far more proactive and responsible approach of not permitting anything that might even come close to medical advice. Here it seems perfectly ok to line up to tell a woman with multiple risk favors that her three-weeks-overdue home water VBA4C birth 80 miles on country roads from the nearest hospital is just fine for a 45 year old with high blood pressure and gestational diabetes.

I also see it on other threads in the medical section but the 'ignore the advice of the medical team who know your individual case' mantra seems pervasive on the pregnancy boards. Often the poster might only have asked a question about a specific aspect of a procedure, only to be met with " you don't have to consent to induction, you know" or "you should consider homebirth" etc.

What would be the responsibility of MNHQ or individual posters if it all goes wrong for some poor woman or her baby?

OP posts:
Sooverthis · 14/07/2016 06:40

It's an internet forum the onus is on the reader to disseminate information with that in mind.

insancerre · 14/07/2016 06:34

The responsibility would lie with the person taking medical advice from strangers on the internet, anonymous ones at that

annandale · 14/07/2016 06:33

I do wonder about this, and continue to feel guilty because the sporner culture on MN has led to a man having a burst eardrum Sad Since then I have tried a few times to counter the press to home surgery on those threads.

Unfortunately people seem much more likely to believe randoms on the internet than their own doctor. Very occasionally it works in their favour but like the OP I do worry sometimes about a major decision made with internet only backing.

Blistory · 14/07/2016 06:30

Encouraging women to question medical advice isn't necessarily a bad thing. Being encouraged to find a supportive midwife or consultant is hardly the same as being advised to free birth, is it ?

And there's been a deliberate move in healthcare towards engaging with patients and working in partnership with them. Most advice I see on here encourages women to make informed choices and I think it's important that women realise that their health during pregnancy and labour is not an aside but fundamentally important. This notion that women should passively accept all medical advice unquestioningly for the sake of the baby sits uncomfortably with me as does the notion that women are somehow reckless or selfish if they wish to deviate from the norm.

pinkladyapple · 14/07/2016 06:17

I'm sure that on the desktop version of mumsnet that there is a disclaimer somewhere but it's not very noticeable.

I think that someone giving definitive medical advice (someone saying you should do this rather than giving experience) or a thread asking for advice should be reportable so that MNHQ can post a disclaimer.

queenoftheboys · 14/07/2016 05:29

I disagree with a lot of pregnancy/delivery advice given on here too, but I think the line between discussion of a general approach to a situation and lifestyle advice; and actual medical advice would be quite hard to draw. You could argue that nothing said on an anonymous Internet forum by posters of unknown background who don't know the OP's history actually constitutes medical advice. And certainly shouldn't be taken as such. MN could put a disclaimer to that effect at the top of every thread to cover themselves, but in terms of practical value I suspect there would be none.

You can find all sorts of questionable advice on the Internet, much of it masquerading as actual medical advice purportedly from medical professionals, and ultimately it's the responsibility of the individual to weigh it up and make their own decision, which you or I may not agree with.

It goes the other way too - there are quite a few threads where posters are urged to go to A & E, for example, when I (as a Dr) think it's probably unnecessary. I don't say so though because I can't be sure.

I guess ultimately I'm in favour of a less regulated, caveat emptor approach which is what we have now.

hesterton · 14/07/2016 05:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Idontknowwhoiam · 14/07/2016 04:51

This has bothered me a lot too.

Out2pasture · 14/07/2016 03:02

excellent question sycamore, I look forward to the MNHQ response.

VimFuego101 · 14/07/2016 02:42

I'm not sure that everyone takes the default position you describe (it's more the odd poster), but I agree with you that unqualified posters should not be allowed to give medical advice and this is concerning. It's tough to draw the line between anecdotes of your own experience and inadvertently telling a poster something is fine when it isn't.