Medical doctors are you liable for what you post here?

Question

Not to scare anyone, but I'm just wandering. People sue for anything now days.

Answer 1

it would be completely irresponsible for a medical professional to post here with the intention to "treat" someonone over Y!A

but i'm sure some unscrupulous person would find a way to try to hold someone from an online forum accountable for something...and i'm sure a jury would throw it out. seriously, who takes answers from here, especially medical answers on Y!A, as the absulute end-all-be-all...?

Answer 2

No, as long as we educate people on what to talk to their doctor about.

Answer 3

There is a disclaimer that specifically mentions that the accuracy of data on here is not guaranteed.  In fact, there is even a health section:  

"Yahoo! Answers is provided for informational purposes only, and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, examination, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health professional before starting any new treatment or making any changes to existing treatment. Do not delay seeking or disregard medical advice based on Q&A Content on this site. No health-related Q&A Content on Yahoo! Answers, including information about herbal therapies and other dietary supplements, is regulated or evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and therefore the information should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease without the supervision of a medical doctor or other qualified health professional."  -- http://answers.yahoo.com/info/disclaimer

I suppose someone could try to make a case if an answerer represented themselves as a professional doctor and provided some method of proof for that.  Even then, they'd have to find some way to prove that the post actually came from that medical professional.

Answer 4

In order to be liable, you must have a doctor-patient relationship.  That's pretty hard to do anonymously.  Most of my advice is "See YOUR doctor", or "Call YOUR surgeon".

Answer 5

First, you can sue anybody for any reason.  However, unless someone knows your name, how are they going to find out who you are?  I mean, your email address isn't even posted.  Also, no medical professional is going to do anything that approaches diagnosing over the internet.  We are too smart for that.  And concerning people that are posting about their illnesses, usually the answer contains something about going to your doctor and discussing the problem.