MEDICAL ADVICE AND THE WEB Medical Advice, strictly speaking, should come from a physician or from a well-documented and authoritative source such as medical literature. Surfing the web for medical advice is fun, but dangerous to your health. The "medical advice" web pages fall into several categories. One is purely testimonial information. That is a person has PERSONAL experience with the sign/symptom/syndrome/condition/disease of interest and talks/writes from experience, NOT from authoritative knowledge of the syndrome. Testimonial evidence is the LEAST factual information you can find. It's one guy/gal telling you his/her experience. Their experience should NOT be YOUR guide to behavior... Why should your next door neighbor be a better doctor than you are? Why should you take their recommendations? The next is "groups". That is, organizations of sufferers of the disease who have a web page to share experiences and offer advice to one another...or the world. This is where you find some really odd and perhaps dangerous suggestions. Keep in mind that a large group of people CAN be wrong about something: Think "Jamestown"... Medical organizations or societies or hospitals often have medical advice on their web pages, but they are very careful to tell you that you should not follow their advice without medical supervision! Instead, you should always consult your physician first with regard to your problem... You will be benefited by printing out the Web advice to take with you when you go to your own physician, or to a clinic. The final authority is medical research and clinical experience. You may find this at the National Library of Medicine, on line as Medline and accessible via several different search engines. At this level, you need either medical training or a medical vocabulary to understand what you may find...indeed, to even find the information you may need deeper understanding than a simple medical vocabulary... Imagine that the Web is a blank wall and anyone can write and draw pictures on it. That means ANYONE, not just honest and authoritative people with good intentions. Many crooks, salesmen, charlatans and other malevolent people have written, are writing, and will write upon it... Do NOT believe everything you read on that wall. If you want medical advice, see your doctor. If you don't have a doctor, get one. If you can't get one, go to the hospital emergency room. If it's NOT an emergency, ask your neighbor, pharmacist, or minister for the name of their doctor [but NOT their medical advice]! None of this is medical advice, nor should it be construed as such! Call it health advice if you need a name... Tom Stewart 12/21/04 [updated 11/23/07] BE A SAVVY SURFER ON THE INTERNET Holly Atkinson, MD, Editor HealthNews, January 27, 1998 The volume of medical information continues to grow explosively, and perhaps nothing contributes to it more than the booming Internet. Over the past year, health has been the fastest growing sector on the World Wide Web, with more than 10,000 health-related sites now available. According to one estimate, one in six American adults use the Internet, and 37 percent of them have sought health information online. This Explosion is both a blessing and a curse. On a recent episode of the popular TV drama ER, doctors used the Internet to help solve a puzzling diagnosis. In fact, this was an accurate portrayal of what goes on every day across the country. Doctors, patients, and health conscious consumers are using online sources to cull the latest information. For me, the Internet has become indispensable. Just two years ago, it would have taken me many days to pull together reference materials that I can now collect in minutes. Now for the downsides: The volume of information is overwhelming, and the quality can be difficult to judge. The Federal Trade Commission found that hundreds of health Web sites contain potentially false or deceptive claims. Even well-meaning publishers of Web sites can leave much to be desired. Recently a team of doctors reporting in the British Medical Journal reviewed 41 Web sites for advice on how to treat a feverish child. They found plenty of information but very little that was accurate and up to date. How can you become a savvy surfer on the Internet? Here are five questions to ask about each health Web site to help gauge its reliability: 1. Who is posting the information? Reputation counts. Usually brand names can be trusted; you're safer if you stick with known names in the world of medicine, such as the National Institutes of Health, the American Lung Association, and the Mayo Clinic. 2. Who is paying for the Web site? Ask yourself whether the specific content of the site promotes any products subtly or not so subtly. 3. What are the credentials of the group developing the content? Many reputable sites make clear their editorial process and list the names and credentials of their advisory board members. If no one is identified as being in charge, be more skeptical. 4. When was the material last updated? Medical information can become outdated quickly. Check the date when the Web site was last updated and whether the material you're reading has been updated since its original posting. Ideally, a Web site should be updated at least monthly, if not weekly. 5. How well are claims documented? Check for references and be suspicious if the material does not refer to scientific studies or expert panels that support the claims. For more on how to judge the reliability and quality of health information, check out the California Medical Association's Web Site: and look under "Library of Links" for an area called "Evaluating Med Info". If you have a specific medical problem or question, the best place to start depends on what you need. If you're hunting for general information on a particular disease start with Web sites developed and maintained by the top voluntary health organizations devoted to it, such as the American Cancer Society Two other good places to start include: Healthfinder, maintained by the US government; Hardin MD (the MD stands for "meta directory" [a directory of directories]), run by the Hardin Library for Health Sciences at the University of Iowa These provide reliable lists of health sources by subject, usually with built in hyperlinks that take you to other organizations' home pages. Or, you can try one of the search engines such as Excite, Yahoo!, or AltaVista. [Update: add Google to this list.] Although a general search on these sites may yield a daunting number of matches, if you know an organization's name but not its Web address, you can find it almost instantly. If you're hunting for cutting-edge treatments, you might want to search the most recent findings published in the medical literature. Last June, the US Government made MEDLINE, the world's largest medical database available to anyone on the Web (See HN, August 5, 1997). MEDLINE contains more than nine million summaries from the world's 4,000 top medical journals, and it can give you a wealth of information about new treatments that are being developed in the best medical laboratories. MEDLINE used to be accessed only by librarians, doctors, and research scientists, but now the Web site gets about 1 million visits a day -- most of them from consumers in search of treatment options. If you are willing to pay someone else to do the search, visit The Health Resource or MedSearch . You can also see portions of HealthNews and search their online archives for top stories on advancements. A word of warning: if you join a news group or chat forum, beware of the quality of information. I have found some of the most irresponsible and harmful material posted in bulletin boards. Well-meaning people -- but sometimes charlatans and salesmen too -- post less-than-accurate material, and rumors spread like wildfire. Find a forum affiliated with a reputable organization and hosted by a well-qualified expert. Finally, don't believe everything you read on the Internet. And remember that there is a difference between information and knowledge, between facts and wisdom. Ask your doctor [or Pharmacist] to help you sort through what you find on the Web. Indeed, knowledge is power, but the challenge is understanding it and using it wisely. Transcribed 12/21/04 tgs [Transcriber's comments in brackets.] What follows is more than 400 health-related websites collected from various web sources. This is "RAW" information and NO claim is made that ANY of these sites is up-to-date, accurate, truthful, correct, useful, authoritative, or even functional. They have been categorized as "health related" in some way IMPORTANT: NEVER NEVER NEVER act on any web information without consulting your own health care professional FIRST!
New Additions [not alphabetic]:
Lupus Online Support Group
If you find any of these links to be incorrect in any way, please inform meA A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A 1Up Health - Comprehensive health information on more than 4000 health topics. Welcome to ailments.com Rhett J. Drugge, M.D.'s Bookmarks - aphthous ulcers Acronyms for Health Information Resources American Health Assistance Foundation - Alzheimer's research American Hospital Directory Official American Medical Assn (AMA) American Academy of Family Physicians The American Lung Assn National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute American Public Health Assn American Academy of Ophthalmology The San Diego American Indian Health Center Asthma Control - Patient info AGING, GERIATRIC, GERONTOLOGY, SENIOR HEALTH, ETC InfoAging - American Federation for Aging Research AIDS - HIV (SEE ALSO DISEASES, INFECTIOUS) Journal of AIDS/HIV HIV - AIDS Community Research Consortium (ACRC) IAPAC Main Page - HIV info - International Assn Physicians in Aids Care Immunet - Treatment Info for AIDS/HIV Caregivers HIVpositive.com "Be Smart About HIV" - HIV Patient Info ALLERGY, IMMUNE, AUTOIMMUNE, Lupus Online Support Group Alliance for Lupus Research Immunet Mastering Food Allergies ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE The Alternative Medicine Homepage Natural Medicine Complementary Health Care and Alternative Therapies Good Medicine Journal -- Alternative Medicine Quantum Medicine -- naturopathy, homeopathy, acupuncture,
and other areas of natural medicine. Alternative Health and Self-Managed Care University of Pittsburgh information on alternative, complementary medicine. Integrative medicine natural health, alternative therapies, links Chiropractor List ANATOMY, ANATOMICAL The Visible Human Project Picture Gallery - Throat anatomy Human Anatomy On-line - InnerBody.com Illustrations of 45 surgical procedures, including normal anatomyB B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B BPD Central BLOOD - SEE CARDIOVASCULAR Welcome to BioMedNet The World-Wide Web Virtual Library: BiosciencesC C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C Clinical Trials Listing by Disease Category Chronic Fatigue, Fibromyalgia, Gulf War Illness, and Related Disorders Colorado HealthNet Site ChronicIllnet HIT Anticoagulation - Managing Oral Anticoagulation Therapy Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CANCER Mesothelioma site Help, Hope, Info. Asbestos-related cancer Breast Cancer Care (British) Avon's Breast Cancer Awareness Crusade CancerGuide: Steve Dunn's Cancer Information Page CancerGuide: Pros and Cons of Researching Your Cancer Consumer - Cancer Rates and Risks Cancer Research Funding Breast Cancer Answers Project Cancer - CenterWatch Clinical Trials Listing Service Pancreatic cancer, alternatives Karmanos Cancer Institute Leukemia Society of America CancerHelp - Comprehensive Cancer Resources On The Internet The Lymphoma Research Foundation of America Hardin MD - Oncology CancerNetwork CARDIOVASCULAR, CPR, CORONARY, HEART American Heart Association HeartD D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D Medical Online Dictionaries & Glossaries Diseases, Disorders and Related Topics Dual Diagnosis Integrated Network of Disability Information and Education How To Talk To Doctors DocsOnline Doctor's guide - Medical and other news Doctorlink Main Page Superdoc Ask Dr. Weil - Q&A DENTAL, DENTIST, TEETH, ENDODONTY, ORTHODONTY
The Health Systems Pharmacists' Employment Newsletter National Foundation For Depressive Illness, Inc. Web of Addictions DRUG MANUFACTURERS' INFORMATION - SPECIFIC AND GENERAL FLONASE® (fluticortisone propionate) Glaxo Wellcome Anesthesia Site T.R.U.E. Test® (Allergen Patch Test) Resource Center VALTREX® (valacyclovir HCl) WELLBUTRIN SR® (bupropion HCl) ZANTAC® (ranitidine HCl) ZYBAN® (?????) Hoechst Internet ForumE E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E EATING DISORDERS, DIET, ANOREXIA, BULIMIA Health - BARBARA'S OBESITY MEDS AND RESEARCH NEWS BeeSlender Online weight management counseling. Psychologists, nutritionists and exercise physiologists provide emailed lessons and daily diet, exercise and lifestyle counseling. EYE, OPHTHALMOLOGY,BLINDNESS, VISION Eye Care Professionals Internet Presence Provider National Federation of the Blind Blindness Resource Center Prevent Blindness America BLIND RELATED LINKS Visuality EAR, HEARING, DEAFNESS NOSE, MOUTH, THROAT, LARYNX, RHINOLOGY,F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F Lifetime - TV for Women Newhope - Health Foods and Herbal Remedies Mastering Food AllergiesG G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G GASTROINTESTINAL GASTROSITE™ - Info on Gastrointestinal Disorders The Helicobacter pylori Foundation Page ZANTAC® (ranitidine HCl) GENETIC Consumer - Human Genetic Disease: A Layman's Approach Tay-Sachs Disease Down Syndrome Parents Group GOVERNMENT SITES (ALL DUPLICATED ELSEWHERE) Health information from the Federal Govt., state and local agencies. Produced by the Nat. Library of Medicine: consumer health resources. Consumer - Cancer Rates and Risks Unified Medical Language System Emerging Infectious Diseases - CDC National Center for Infectious Diseases Drug Abuse - National Institute on Drug Abuse Drug Abuse - Marijuana: Facts for Teens, pg 13-14 The Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (U.S. government site) Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report Medline: National Library of Medicine. A database with thousands of clinical articles. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention FDA Home Page NIMH Web Site U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM) National Library of Medicine - NIH - Customer Service E-Mail Contacts NN/LM PNR's Directory of Health Sciences LibrariesH H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H Health Web Health On the Net Foundation (Swiss) Health On the Net (HON): MedHunt (Swiss) Medical Strategies, Inc - Online for better health Welcome to Hepatitis Foundation International Healthcare Information Systems Directory Healthline Publishing Health A to Z Worldwide Healthcare Forums Produced by the Nat. Library of Medicine: consumer health resources. Healthfinder -- Consumer Health Information Consumer health articles, many written by Mayo Clinic physicians Evaluated health information selected by librarians. Health Education Library for People Health News & Information Directory Health Plan Directory A Welcome to HealthSearchUSA P/S/L Consulting Group - Health Related Reproductive Health Online (ReproLine) Rural Health Care Corporation Wired to health TOXLAW BOOKMARKS: Federal Health Agencies Health 4 Free The Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (U.S. government site) HealthAnswers (Orbis Broadcast Group) Health Info Sources - Bruce Maxwell HealthWeb The Helicobacter pylori Foundation Page Council on Family Health Columbia University Health Services HEALTH, WEALTH & HAPPINESS Partners in Health National Influenza Immunization Campaign HealthlinkplusI I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I e-MDs Free Online ICD-9 Search Page Free ICD search INFOMED ONLINE InteliHealth - Johns Hopkins Health Information: Adult Health AdvisorJ J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J JAMA & ARCHIVES New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) On-line Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (British) AMA - Site wide search engine Journal of Emergency Medicine On-Line Journal of Family Medicine On-Line Journal of Primary Care On-LineK K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K Kidney Dialysis Foundation, Singapore The Kellogg's Nutrition University Kimberly-Clark KNEEguru - Welcome (British)L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L LifeSaver Features LifeSaver Title LABORATORY TESTS AND PROCEDURES LIBRARIES The World-Wide Web Virtual Library: Biosciences Pharmacy Refs at OSU lib The World-Wide Web Virtual Library: Pharmacy Health Education Library for People U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM) National Library of Medicine - NIH - Customer Service E-Mail Contacts NN/LM PNR's Directory of Health Sciences Libraries REYE'S SYNDROME LINKS Medical Electronic Link Health & Medical Science Internet Web Links ... The Health Beat Links relating to Huntington's Chorea LinkOrthopaedics (British) Healthlinks Resource HomepageM M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M The Best Medical Resources on the Web - Priory Lodge Education Ltd.1996. Medizin - Switzerland Medsite - Medical information The Merck Manual - Table of Contents Merck & Co., Inc., Whitehouse Station, NJ Medical Breakthroughs reported by Ivanhoe Broadcast News, Inc. Medical Biochemistry Medical Access Online The Medical Letter Medical - ????? - new index Medscape (Index page) Massachusetts Medical Society Aceology Medical Review Medical History on the Internet MedicinePlanet MedFindNow The Cool Medical Site Of The Week Medical - The 911 Fire Police Medical Main Station [v.6.2a] Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report MedicineNet (Information Network, Inc) AVICENNA: The Medical Information Supersite of the World Wide Web Multiple Sclerosis MIGRAINE and HEADACHES Migraine Resource Center - Help for Patients Migraine Headaches DoctorNET Online Headache Links Natural Migraine Treatment FAQ (Netherlands) National Headache Foundation Migraine Diagnosis and Treatment MigraineN N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N National Jewish Combined Medical/Scientific Update and Med Facts Index NIMH Web Site U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM) National Library of Medicine - NIH - Customer Service E-Mail Contacts NN/LM PNR's Directory of Health Sciences Libraries NEUROLOGY, CONVULSIVE DISORDERS, SLEEP DISORDERS Neurosource MGH Neurology Acoustic Neuroma Assn Sleep Medicine Sleep Foundation Laser Surgery for Snoring and Sleep Apnea The American Academy of Sleep Medicine Talk About Sleep NURSING American Assn of Occupational Health Nurses, Inc (AAOHN) The American College of Nurse-Midwives WWNURSE.COM - Medical Search Tools Medical - Nursing - Nurseweek/Healthweek online Nursing - Continuing Education for Nurses: Index of Nursing Articles and Tests Health - WWNURSE.COM - The Internet's Nursing Index since 1996 NUTRITIONO O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O National Organization for Rare Disorders OREGON Oregon Health Division - What's New Oregon Health Sciences UniversityP P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P Clinical Pharmacology PEDIATRIC, CHILD, CHILD CARE, KIDS Journal of Pediatrics OnLine American Academy of Pediatrics Web Site Pediatric Info Children's Liver Alliance Recalls, Doctors, Parenting KIDS R KIDS, INC's. inclusion for children and adults with disabilities resources for parents, educators and professionals Health - Children with Spina Bifida Glaxo Wellcome Institute for Digestive health (GIDH) PSYCH* - ANXIETY, MENTAL HEALTH BPD World - Borderline Personality Defect page Encyclopedia of mental illness. Education and articles listed by mental disorder. Mental Health Infosouce Links Page National Anxiety Foundation Masthead Mental Health Sanctuary Borderline Personality Disorder Sanctuary Bipolar Disorder Sanctuary Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder Life at the Border (Book Review) Mental Health Net Welcome to Mental Health InfoSource Journal of Psychiatry On-Line American Academy of Clinical Psychiatrists Pendulum's Bipolar Disorder / Manic-Depression Pages Stress Education Center The Schizophrenia Home Page All kinds of counseling.Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q 19th Century Medicine - QuackeryR R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R Bare Bones Radiology - Explaining X-ray Exams Real AgeS S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S The American Self-Help Clearinghouse Surgery Center: A Patient's Place SEARCH and SEARCHING Medical World Search Govt - NIH - Medline Search - PubMed Searching - Reviews of medical sites, chat rooms for healthcare professionals-newsletter, newsgroups, a search-engine for the healthcare profession SPANISH SOURCES A database of cancer articles. Fax information from this source is available in Spanish. STATISTICS Centers for Disease Control provides disease statistics The National Center for Health Statistics Yale Library on epidemiology and public healthT T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T U U U U U U U U U U U U U U U U U U U U U U U U U SEE UNCLASSIFIED BELOWV V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V Veins Health Virtual HospitalW W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W WellnessWeb WebSideStory World's Top 1000 Pages - Health WOMEN'S HEALTH AND RELATED TOPICS The Women's Resource Project The Women's Resource Project health links NetHealth - Women's Health Resources on the Internet Women's Health Hot Line - Media Newsletter Houston Support Group - General Women's Health Links Onhealth women's health report archives: Yahoo Women's health links News items on birth, pregnancy, breastfeeding, midwifery, women's health Health Square - the what, how and why for women's health Medical - Women's Health Avon's Breast Cancer Awareness Crusade Breast Cancer Answers Project Childbirth Obstetric Myths Versus Research Realities: episiotomy Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology Abortion Clinics OnLine Pregnancy -HomeArts: The Whole Nine Months Welcome to Woman's HospitalX X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z UNCLASSIFIED (most recent at TOP): Pregnancy and trying to conceive resource The Online Handbook The Centre for Health Informatics - UWA, Aberystwyth, UK (British) Health - Self-Help Web Sites Database Hardin Meta Directory of Internet Health Sources OnHealth! PhysiciansChat.Com Health, Medical, and Hospital Care Resources PSINet Suicide Information & Education Center (SIEC) Tutorials - Medical CE - SMA - MEDBYTES NORD - Canadian Sickle Cell Society Needy Meds REYE'S SYNDROME Cooperative Cardiovascular Project (CCP) National Spotlight UW-Cooperative Extension Health Policy Information VitalSigns, Inc - NetMedic source WellnessWeb World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe Welcome To The Wound Clinic Health - You First http://www.yourhealth Health Answers - Professionals Only LATE ADDITIONS Oncolink Online AA Recovery Resources -- Alcoholics Anonymous Official Alcoholics Anonymous Site The Recovery Home Page Collected Writings of Ivan K Goldberg - Mental Health Traveler's Choice -- Traveler's health issues The Virtual Heart -- part of the Franklin Institute's virtual science museum Bone Marrow Transplants
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