“Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint”
Mark Twain
The Internet is changing everything, even heath care. Health information is everywhere. 55% of Internet users do so for health related information. Disease and illness chat rooms are packed. It is even expected that interaction with your doctor via Internet will increase in the near future.
Unfortunately, all health information is not created equal. The accuracy and quality varies tremendously – so consumers beware! Just type “arthritis” or “asthma” into your search engine and you will find almost 2 million links for each. I’ve seen as many people misled by well-meaning “experts” as have been helped. It’s not easy to separate the good from the bad, so here’s some advice:
Stick with well respected sites, especially those tied to a top notch medical center or major medical society. Many pharmaceutical companies have great information on their sites.
Be very careful in chat rooms. Look for one moderated by a reputable source. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Don’t be fleeced. Be careful with sited that are selling more than they’re telling. Always check information with your doctor who can also probably steer you to a reliable source.
FitTip
Information is power and good health information is essential for you to take charge of your health and positively change it. Find a great health site today, bookmark it, and visit it regularly. Always make sure to check with your doctor. You can try starting with some of my favorites:
- www.WebMd.com (health and medical)
- www.Intelihealth.com (health and medical)
- www.aaos.org (orthopedic surgery)
- www.sportsmed.org (sports medicine)
- www.proteamphysicians.com (sports medicine)
- www.aafp.org (family medicine)
- www.aap.org (pediatrics)
- www.drweil.com (alternative medicine)
- www.oncolink.com.com (cancer)
- www.bestdoctors.com (top docs everywhere)
- www.Quackwatch.com (watch those scams)
