A report commissioned by health insurer, Bupa reveals that three quarters of people in the UK with internet access search for medical advice. Of these, more than half do so to self-diagnose, which may come as no great surprise, given the recent flu scares and the public's impatience to wait for a doctor's appointment.

This 'epidemic' of risky self-diagnosis is on the rise due to the advancement of smart phones.

This news could bear an impact on doctors, nurses and dietitian jobs who want patients to receive the correct advice via appropriate channels such as pharmacies or NHS Direct, rather than relying on untrustworthy internet advice.

The London School of Economics, who carried out the study for Bupa, made the startling discovery that 75% of DIY doctors do not check the reliability or credibility of their sources.

Dr Annabel Bentley, Medical Director at Bupa, commented: ''Unreliable information about health online is a real worry... Relying on dodgy information can easily lead to people taking risks with inappropriate tests and treatments, wasting money and causing unnecessary worry.''

''Equally, people may check online and dismiss serious symptoms when they should get advice from a doctor.''

David McDaid, of The London School of Economics, added: "people need to make sure that the information they find will make them better – not worse."

12,000 Bupa members across the globe completed the survey which also showed the second most popular reason for checking medical information online was to find out about other patients' experiences of illness.