Online medical information
" online medical resources and advice can be a powerful tool IF USED WISELY. The most reliable and accurate Web sites, blogs and list-serves can lead users to information about prevention, diagnosis, treatment and experts, sometimes helping them to improve their quality of life dramatically."(caps are mine)
"But Internet users will have mixed results when searching the "medical Internet" if they don't first establish which sites are most credible."
After spending about three years looking at over 20,000 possible Web site:"The final list contained just 1,000 sites, each of which met Dr. Weinberg's standards for reliability and accuracy. They include Medline Plus, National Library of Medicine, the National Immunization Program, CDC and MyPyramid, USDA."
"[...] while eight in 10 American adults have consulted the Web for health care information, 75% failed to check a source's validity or relevance."
http://www.forbes.com/2008/12/23/medical-advice-online-forbeslife-cx_rr_1223health.html
Online health support groups weren't mentioned.
I've found that online health support forums offer both the best and the worst medical advice. Nothing beats reading about personal experiences in my view. And certainly hugs don't hurt anyone and are greatly needed by many, especially in the first weeks of finding out they have a serious condition.
An online support group should also intersperse those kind wishes with medical facts or it's doing a disservice to its members; don't those people go to such a site to get the best information about their disease/condition?
Those medical facts should be checked for veracity and from a valid site, as stated above.
"But Internet users will have mixed results when searching the "medical Internet" if they don't first establish which sites are most credible."
After spending about three years looking at over 20,000 possible Web site:"The final list contained just 1,000 sites, each of which met Dr. Weinberg's standards for reliability and accuracy. They include Medline Plus, National Library of Medicine, the National Immunization Program, CDC and MyPyramid, USDA."
"[...] while eight in 10 American adults have consulted the Web for health care information, 75% failed to check a source's validity or relevance."
http://www.forbes.com/2008/12/23/medical-advice-online-forbeslife-cx_rr_1223health.html
Online health support groups weren't mentioned.
I've found that online health support forums offer both the best and the worst medical advice. Nothing beats reading about personal experiences in my view. And certainly hugs don't hurt anyone and are greatly needed by many, especially in the first weeks of finding out they have a serious condition.
An online support group should also intersperse those kind wishes with medical facts or it's doing a disservice to its members; don't those people go to such a site to get the best information about their disease/condition?
Those medical facts should be checked for veracity and from a valid site, as stated above.
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