The Internet has opened up a whole world of possibilities for researching medical issues and questions. But be careful. Remember that anyone with the will, desire and know-how can create a Web site.
Make sure the sponsor is someone reliable. Good choices are government agencies, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; medical professional associations, such as the American Academy of Family Physicians; specialty associations, such as the American Cancer Society; and university medical centers.
Look for the medical or professional credentials and affiliated institutions of those quoted on the site, or those sponsoring it.
Be wary of sites overly eager to register you and get your personal information. Give up your medical information, address, telephone number, email address and credit card numbers only if you know how they will be used.
Medical information should be traceable to original medical sources. Since information quickly goes out of date, check to see how old the information is.
Before buying health products online, consider the following tips offered by the Food and Drug Administration:
Beware of sites that advertise a “new cure” for a serious disorder or a quick cure-all for a wide range of ailments.
- Be careful of sites that use impressive-sounding terminology to disguise a lack of good science or those that claim the government, the medical profession or research scientists have conspired to suppress a product.
- Steer clear of sites that include undocumented case histories claiming “amazing” results.
