11.3

• digital media refers to audio, video and photographic content that has been converted into a digital media file
• digital media


  • websites
  • social media
  • games
• digital media for health and wellbeing


  • internet search engines
  • health and wellbeing websites and apps
  • technology-based patient consultations
  • VR
  • symptom checkers
• technology-based patient consultations


  • use technology as an alternative to face-to-face consultations
  • telehealth consultations
• VR

  • doctor + surgeon training
  • distraction therapy for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy
• symptom checkers 


  • search + answer questions to determind best action to take
  • example - healthdirect
• mobile apps


  • motivate people to be more physically active
  • example - beyond blue
• general health and wellbeing websites


  • provide general health information
  • healthdirect
• internet search engines


  • provide medical facts - symptoms, treatments
  • example - google
• challenges for health and wellbeing created by digital media


  • reliability of information
  • low health literacy
  • self-diagnosis
  • self-medicating
  • cyberchondria
• cyberchondria - people who search medical symptoms online and believe they have the worst-case scenario for their symptoms