FAMILY MEDICINE® COLUMN
By John C. Wolf, D.O.
Associate Professor of Family Medicine®
Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine

QUACKERY HASN'T DIED - IT'S JUST RELOCATED TO THE INTERNET

Question: I have been using the Internet to find information about health problems for my friends, family and myself. There is an overwhelming amount of information out there. How can I tell if the information is accurate?

Answer: I think it's a good idea for all of us to learn as much as we can about staying healthy, and the Internet certainly can play a role. Some people join online support groups to help cope with specific illnesses, while others try to locate qualified doctors and hospitals or information about experimental therapies. Millions of Americans, like you and me, however, typically use the Internet to access information about specific health-care topics - along with searching for many non-health related items.

On the World Wide Web there are more than 15,000 sites devoted to health-related issues. According to a national study, more than 18 million adults sought health information from the Internet last year to learn more about diseases and drugs. There is a great deal of accurate and helpful information out there, but there is also an astounding amount of misleading "junk." Some web sites are run by "cyber-quacks." Their material is not written by legitimate medical experts, but rather by people trying to sell products or health-related gimmicks. Therefore, if you use the Internet for medical information, always consider the source of the material. The best information comes from reputable sources, such as well-known hospitals, medical schools or government health organizations where the authors and contributors are identified. Sites of such institutions as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (www.fda.gov) and Health and Human Services (www.healthfinder.org) contain a wealth of up-to-date, accurate health information. The Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine maintains two sites that I would recommend. One contains previous Family Medicine® newspaper columns, and you can find it at www.fhradio.org/fam-med/index.html. The other offers sound files for the Family Health® radio show and its URL is www.fhradio.org. Be sure to check the date on the material at any site to make sure it's current. Beware of sites that read like advertisements or propaganda. Be particularly skeptical of any site where a doctor offers to diagnose your condition online or to sell you a product or treatment. If you see health information on the web that intrigues you, print it out and share it with your family physician. He or she can help you evaluate it.

Family Medicine® is a weekly column. To submit questions, write to John C. Wolf, D.O., Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Grosvenor Hall, Athens, Ohio 45701.