Wednesday, October 27, 1999
Health info on the Web needs examination
BY SUE MacDONALD
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Searching the World Wide Web for information about health can be like walking into a library whose books have been jumbled to the floor by an earthquake.
Nothing's in order, nothing's prioritized and alas, the Electronics Age has long since replaced the reliable old card catalog. (I miss the card catalog, don't you?)
In addition, people looking for health information are often anxious or worried about their health or future.
|
HOW TO JUDGE A SITE
|
Dr. George Lundberg, editor of www.medscape.com, offers these tips for evaluating a Web site for health information.
• Who wrote it? You should be able to identify an author or source for the information. If not, question it.
• How recent is the information? Ideally, all information should be dated and updated so you know whether it's new or old or recycled. Good Web sites list the date they were last updated.
• If information comes from another source, is it attributed? Make sure sources are readily identified so you know it's not being made up or posted as a sales tool.
• Who pays for or owns the site? Is advertising clearly marked as advertising, separate from editorial information?
• Does the site adhere to principles of privacy and protect you while you're there? Does it make promises not to sell your name?
|
“It's a really scary time when you're first diagnosed with a disease,” says Bob Pringle, president of Intelihealth (www.intelihealth.com), a Web site maintained by health professionals at Johns Hopkins University. “The first thing people say is, "Oh, my God, why me? And the second thing they do is turn to the Internet. There are 15,000 Web sites out there now with health information, and how do you know which ones are good?”
Or which ones to pursue? Plug in the words “breast cancer” on the Excite search engine and you'll get 647,363 mentions of breast cancer (61,592 for cholesterol, 11,049 for snoring and 376,105 for ear infections).
Doctors will tell you to stick to sites whose information has been studied by other doctors. But people interested in nutrition, vitamins, herbs, acupuncture or other holistic approaches often look elsewhere.
Like anything, there are good sites and bad sites, verifiable information and diatribes by folks with axes to grind, not to mention sheer hucksterism.
Most sites will link you to other sites maintained by longtime, reputable health organizations, such as the American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org), American Heart Association (www.americanheart.org) and the American Diabetes Association (www.diabetes.org).
Here are a variety of sites that provide sound information about health, with this caveat from Mr. Pringle: “The information that's on the Internet is not personalized to you. It's an information-gathering exercise, and then you have to exercise judgment. Review the information you find with your doctor to make sure it's appropriate for you.”
Some recommended health-related Web sites
Legislator seeks to end '2 Percent Club'
Teens will live every musician's dream
Obesity epidemic is killing thousands
Tip for trimming down
Just how much are you eating?
Health info on the Web needs examination
Avondale wants law to keep out undesirables
Miss America visiting Over-the-Rhine
Police targeting Fort Washington Way
Reading schools try to dispel furor
Routine traffic stop results in stolen patrol car, chase
School levy backers target undecided voters
Children Services asks for support
Levy assists 10,000 disabled
Opponents take shots at Patton
Taft stumps for local school levies
Getting the right sound
Famous engraving of city in new printing
GET TO IT
Workshops spell out Social Security issues
14-year-old faces adult murder charge
Boone sophomores get to test knowledge
Card-game slaying goes to grand jury
Decision on uniforms given to schools, parents
Ex-Boone official gets year in jail, lecture on theft
Lakota freshmen schools up to voters
Liberty asks for post office
Ludlow official in court over back taxes
Miami breaks ground on memorial to activists
Neighbors, city may have cleared hurdle for housing complex
Ohio low on school breakfasts
Relative keeps fight alive for renamed bridge
School kids operate bank branch
Sheriffs irate over drug allegation
Starting the millennium with a wedding? Tell us about it Are you starting your married life as we all start the new millennium? tying the knot as you tie one on for the new millennium? We're looking for couples who are planning to get married this New Year's Eve, couples who picked the date especially because it's the turn of the century.
Study: Payroll tax cut may help Covington
Suspect in crash can play football
TRISTATE DIGEST
Union Twp. residents asking for new name
Warren-Cincinnati vans to stop
Wyoming seeks funds money for fields
Yucky water gives insight
