We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Health

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What does an Online Doctor do?

By Rhonda Rivera
Updated: Feb 23, 2024
Views: 5,583
Share

An online doctor is generally a health professional that writes medical articles or directly answers people's questions by email or chat. When not writing for a personal website, doctors are usually paid a good sum for each article they submit to medical websites. Directly answering questions can also be a paid job, but sometimes a doctor does this for free. Sometimes, symptom checkers are also referred to as online doctors. Symptom checkers are web programs that allow a user to input symptoms, then gives the user a list of conditions that might be causing those symptoms.

In general, doctors that write medical articles for popular medical websites are freelance writers, in addition to being health professionals. The doctor typically chooses a topic from a list, then writes and submits it under his or her own name and credentials. An online doctor is often heavily screened to ensure that his or her certifications are real and that he or she is qualified to write on the chosen topics. Some doctors write while still practicing medicine, while others write full-time.

A lot of websites are now offering to let users talk to real doctors via chat or email. Often, these services are completely free for the user but the doctor might take days or even weeks to answer — this service is not meant to be used in emergencies. Many people use this service in order to get a second opinion on a minor ailment that was either dismissed or could not be fixed by a previous doctor. Other people use it to get advice on sexual or mental health issues, among other problems.

While there are free services, immediate help is often available through a paid online doctor. Some websites demand a flat fee to speak to an online doctor. Other websites allow users to bid money, then a doctor can choose to accept the bid and begin chatting to the user. Often, the bid is submitted along with the question, and the doctor emails a response soon after acceptance, with the length and detail of the response determined by how much the user bid. These doctors are not recommended for use in emergencies either.

Another type of online doctor is simply a web program that tries to diagnose a person based on his or her symptoms. Like an actual online doctor, it is possible that these programs will misdiagnose a problem. The best method of diagnosing and treating an ailment is to see a doctor in-person.

Share
WiseGeek is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.

Editors' Picks

Discussion Comments
Share
https://www.wise-geek.com/what-does-an-online-doctor-do.htm
Copy this link
WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.