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timeonlast Wednesday at 11:00 PM8 repliesview on HN

> if I wasn't asking ChatGPT, where would I go to get help?

Is this serious question? Can't you call/visit doctor?


Replies

browningstreetlast Thursday at 12:34 AM

I vibe coded an app and recorded all the things happening to my 50-something body. I shared that list with a few MDs -- they were useless. They literally can't handle anything except acute cases.

It's like telling someone to ask their doctor about nutrition. It's not in their scope any longer. They'll tell you to try things and figure it out.

The US medical industry abdicated their thing a long time ago. Doctors do something I'm sure, but discuss/advise/inquire isn't really one of them.

This was multiple doctors, in multiple locations, in various modalities, after blood tests and MRIs and CT scans. I live with literally zero of my issues resolved even a little tiny bit. And I paid a lot of money out of pocket (on top of insurance) for this experience.

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zeryxlast Thursday at 12:27 AM

Actual access to reliable healthcare is a massive assumption to make, not everyone has incredible health insurance or lives in a country with sufficient doctors/med staff. Most places are in crisis for lack of resources, I'd rather ask chatgpt or Gemini for something urgent rather than wait 5+ hours in ER for the doctor to say "just take some aspirin and go to a walk-in tomorrow"

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jofzarlast Wednesday at 11:03 PM

I'm Australian, but from what I understand from my friends in America, no.

They only go when it's urgent/very worrying.

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Imme_Play_5550last Thursday at 12:16 AM

I have no job and no health insurance. After crafting my prompt correctly (I have W symptoms, X blood markers, have Y lifestyle, and Z demography) ChatGPT accurately diagnosed my problem. (You have REDS and need to eat more food, dumbass.)

Or, I could've gone to a doctor and overloaded our healthcare system even more.

ChatGPT serves as a good sanity check.

gck1last Wednesday at 11:47 PM

It depends on where you live and what the issue is.

Where I live, doctors are only good for life threatening stuff - the things you probably wouldn't be asking ChatGPT anyway. But for general health, you either:

1. Have to book in advance, wait, and during the visit doctor just says that it's not a big deal, because they really don't have time or capacity for this.

2. You go private, doctor goes on a wild hunt with you, you spend a ton of time and money, and then 3 months later you get the answer ChatGPT could have told you in a few minuites for $20/mo (and probably with better backed, more recent research).

If anything, the only time ChatGPT answers wrong on health related matters is when it tries to be careful and omits details because "be advised, I'm not a doctor, I can't give you this information" bullshit.

mountainriverlast Wednesday at 11:33 PM

A lot of doctors also give bad and incorrect advice. I actually find that to be the norm

ihumanlast Thursday at 3:57 AM

Until very recently, it took a week to get an appointment with my primary care doctor, and calls weren't an option. Now that video calls are an option, I get get one in a day or two. I could always go to urgent care to get an answer faster, but that costs more.

NuclearPMlast Wednesday at 11:42 PM

With what money?