Indrani
Sivagnaniar
MPHP
439
Public Health Management and Policy
Millions of Americans search for health
information on the Web every year. Whether the health information is needed for
personal reasons or for a loved one, millions of health-related Web pages are
viewed by millions of consumers. Sometimes the information found is just what
was needed. Other searches end in frustration or retrieval of inaccurate, even
dangerous, information.
The Internet presents a powerful mechanism for helping users improve their health-care decision-making by providing easy and rapid access, exchange, and dissemination for enormous amounts of health information. Yet users must be aware of the potential for misinformation and recognize the critical need to assess the quality of the information provided. Content providers must be encouraged to develop and post high-quality information, and policymakers and health-care professionals must be educated on this important health issue. These criteria are intended as a resource for users seeking health-related information on the Internet, and should aid in evaluating information to determine whether it is usable and credible. The un-filtered, free form nature of the Web provides unique challenges in determining a website’s appropriateness as an information source.
Criteria for
Evaluating Internet Health Information:
Credibility: this includes the source, currency, relevance/utility, and editorial review process for the information.
Content: this must be accurate and complete, and appropriate disclaimer should be provided.
Disclosure: this includes informing the user of the purpose of the site, as well as any profiling or collection of information associated with using the site.
Links: evaluated according to selection, architecture, content, and back linkages.
Design: encompasses accessibility, logical organization, and internal search capability
Interactivity: includes feedback mechanisms and means of exchange of information among users.
Caveats: clarification of whether site function is to
market products and services or is primary information content provider.
These following
criteria are also important in evaluating a health website:
Appeal of site: the appearance of the Web site should be
interesting and informative to a user.
Ease of Navigation: Websites should be easy to access.
Links, evaluated links: links to Websites would help a user to get
to the right web page and information.
Question and answer section: this would help consumers/users to have
their questions and doubts answered.
Dictionaries: this would be helpful if the user needs to
look up a word (medical) on the website.
Pictures, quality of pictures: the web site should have quality of
pictures to make things more interesting, clarifying and appealing.
Personal stories about people
with disease: this would
help a patient or health care professional to get more understanding of the
disease. Also, many people would be more comfortable about reading and
believing real stories.
Access to publications, lending
libraries, and resource books:
these would be helpful in finding or researching more information on a
particular subject.
Names and addresses of local
providers/experts: this is a
good thing to look for because most users don’t know where to find local
provider or expert.
What do we
need to look for: Techniques for Investigating Who Owns a Domain Name:
Most
commonly used top level domains used in the U.S:
.edu= university, educational institution
.gov= governmental agency
.org= non-profit organization
.net= network
.com= commercial
.mil= military
Health Web Sites: Combined lists of all topics:
GENERAL HEALTH WEB SITES:
Name: MEDLINEplus from the National Library of Medicine
URL: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/
Description: The National Library of Medicine's MEDLINEplus information pages
are designed to direct you to resources containing information that will help
you research your health questions. MEDLINEplus is for anyone with a medical question.
Both health professionals and consumers can depend on it for accurate, current,
medical information.
Name: healthfinder
URL: http://www.healthfinder.gov/
Description: Developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
healthfinder directs you to selected online publications, clearinghouses,
databases, web sites, and support and self-help groups, as well as the
government agencies and not-for-profit organizations that produce reliable information
for the public.
Name: NOAH:
URL: http://www.noah-health.org/
Description: NOAH: New York Online Access to Health is a unique collection of
state, local and federal resources selected by editors with consumers in mind.
Searchers may select from a list of Health Topics which are then narrowed to
include definitions, care and treatment, and lists of information resources
Name: familydoctor.org
URL: http://familydoctor.org
Description: From the American Academy of Family
Physicians, this site offers patient education documents for common medical
concerns and conditions. All of the information within familydoctor.org has
been written and reviewed by physicians and patient education professionals at
the
Name: adam.com Medical Encyclopedia
URL: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/encyclopedia.html
Description: adam.com is a leading online provider of health, medical, and
wellness information. At this site, after choosing a topic, you can link
through to an overview, a list of symptoms, treatments, and prevention.
Name: Hardin Meta Directory of Internet Health Sources
URL: http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/hardin/md/index.html
Description: Developed by the Hardin Library for the
Health Sciences,
Name: MayoClinic.com
URL: http://www.mayoclinic.com/
Description: MayoClinic.com offers a wealth of easy-to-understand information
on health and medical topics. New material is added every workday, all reviewed
for accuracy by Mayo Clinic experts.
Name: The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy, Seventeenth
Edition, Centennial Edition
URL: http://www.merck.com/pubs/mmanual/
Description: The Online edition to "The Merck Manual," a standard
quick-reference text in medical libraries.
Name: Diseases, Disorders and Related Topics; "MeSH
Classified" Resources on Internet for lay persons
URL: http://micf.mic.ki.se/Diseases/
Description: From the Karolinska
Institutet, Library, Stockholm, Sweden, these pages contain links to
external ('no-charge') resources on the Internet dealing, in particular, with
diseases and disorders, but also with a few other health/medical related
topics.
Name: HealthLinks: Diseases and Common Conditions
URL: http://healthlinks.washington.edu/
Description: From the University of Washington Health Sciences Libraries,
HealthLinks provides a series of links to resources on the web and at U.
Washington. It was one of the first such services developed in 1995.
Name: InteliHealth
URL: http://www.intelihealth.com/
Description: InteliHealth is a media company formed as a joint venture between
Aetna U.S. HealthcareTM and the
Name: medem.com
URL: http://medem.com/MedLB/medlib_entry.cfm
Description: This set of resources are produced by some of the nation's leading
medical societies, including the American Medical Association. Medem's Medical
Library has a full range of patient education information.
Name: MedWeb
URL: http://www.MedWeb.Emory.Edu/MedWeb/default.htm
Description: MedWeb is a catalog of health related web sites maintained by the Emory University Health Sciences Center
Library to provide access to biomedical information to improve education,
research and patient care.
Name: National Health Information Center
URL: http://www.health.gov/nhic
Description: NHIC puts health professionals and consumers who have health
questions in touch with those organizations that are best able to provide
answers. The site includes the Health Information Resource Database
which contains information on 1,500 organizations and government offices.
Name: The
URL: http://cpmcnet.columbia.edu/texts/guide/
Description: This resource is the online version of the Third Revised Edition,
1995, of this standard consumer health text. There are 34 chapters.
Name: The Merck Manual of Medical Information - Home Edition -
Interactive Edition on the Web
URL: http://www.merckhomeedition.com/home.html
Description: The Online interactive edition of "The Merck Manual of
Medical Information - Home Edition," a comprehensive consumer text.
Name: Virtual Hospital - Common Problems in Adults
URL: http://www.vh.org/CommonProblems/CommonProblems.html
Description: from The Virtual Hospital at the
Name: Allhealth.com
URL: http://www.allhealth.com/
Description: Allhealth.com is the health channel of ivillage.com, the Women's
Network. It has comprehensive information.
Name: Health Care Information Resources
URL: http://www-hsl.mcmaster.ca/tomflem/top.html
Description: Health Care Information Resources makes information about health
and disease accessible in the belief that the informed consumer is a more
satisfied consumer of healthcare.
Name: HealthCentral.com
URL: http://HealthCentral.com/
Description: This site is a network of information services providing consumers
with highly personalized interactive tools, including custom newsletters,
personalized health information pages and personalized risk assessments. HealthCentral
is one of the few sites to actually feature a medical librarian.
Name:
URL: http://www.consumer.gov/health.htm
Description: This is a true megasite for consumer information from the
federal government. This site’s purpose is to provide a one-stop link to a
range of federal resources on the Web easily available to consumers.
Name: HealthLink
URL: http://healthlink.mcw.edu/
Description: This site put up by the Medical College of Wisconsin Physicians
& Clinics from the Medical College of
Wisconsin has health information on many topic and includes news and
features.
Name: HealthTouch Online for Better Health
URL: http://www.healthtouch.com/
Description: An extensive list of specialty and disease categorized single page
patient education documents derived from professional and government organizations.
In the Health Information
Section, find up-to-date information on health, wellness, diseases, and
illnesses. Other sections include: Drug Information Pharmacy Search Health
Resource Directory and Product Information.
Name: Med Help International
URL: http://www.medhelp.org/
Description: Use the Search engine to locate conditions. Patients can ask
questions of doctors -- unlike some "ask the doctor" sites, this one
meets high standards -- HON Code
approved.
Name: Medical Matrix
URL: http://www.medmatrix.org/index.asp?
Description: Medical Matrix's target audience is primarily
Name: MedicineNet.com
URL: http://www.medicinenet.com/
Description: MedicineNet.com seeks to provide relevant, easy-to-read, in-depth
medical information for consumers. Their health and medical information is
written, reviewed and /or edited by one or more board-certified physicians.
Through their peer reviewed-based Task Management System, they ensure that
qualified professionals provide accurate, comprehensive and easy-to-understand
information. They claim their content is not influenced by any advertiser,
sponsor, company, product offering, or third party.
Name: Medwebplus.com
URL: http://www.medwebplus.com/
Description: MedWebPlus is designed as a catalog of biomedical resources on the
World Wide Web. Like the sources it describes, MedWebPlus is intended for
audiences ranging from students to practitioners to patients to the healthy lay
public. Erring on the side of inclusiveness, MedWebPlus excludes sites that are
incomprehensible or that are blatant advertisements for services or publications.
Name: Mylifepath.com
URL: http://www.mylifepath.com/
Description: Mylifepath.com is a free online health and wellness service
provided by Blue Shield of California. The site provides customized healthcare
news and information, and a wide variety of alternative health and wellness
services.
Name: NetWellness
URL: http://www.netwellness.org/
Description: NetWellness is a Web-based consumer health information service
developed by the University of Cincinnati Medical Center with many partners.
The medical centers at
Name: ThriveOnline.com
URL: http://thriveonline.oxygen.com/
Description: Users enter query terms and retrieve fact sheets and article
summaries on disease conditions, drugs, and surgical procedures. Sources
include MDX Health Digest, Harvard Heart Letter, and Consumer Reports.
WOMEN’S HEALTH WEB SITES:
Name: Ask NOAH About: Women's Health
URL: http://www.noah-health.org/english/wellness/healthyliving/womenshealth.html
Description: The New York Online Access to Health (NOAH) is a bilingual
(English and Spanish) health information site. Sponsors include The City
University of
Name: Feminist.com Health and Sexuality Links
URL: http://www.feminist.com/resources/links/links_health.html
Description: A comprehensive list of links to pages concerning breast
cancer/cancer, reproductive health, reproductive rights, sexuality, women &
AIDS, and general women's health provided by feminist.com, a grassroots
community. Benefactors include The Gloria Steinem Fund.
Name: HHS
URL: http://www.fda.gov/womens/
Description: The mission of the FDA's Office of Women's Health (OWH) is
"to serve as a champion for women's health both within and outside the
agency." It "funds research and education/outreach programs on
pressing women's health issues," such as " breast and ovarian cancer,
women and HIV, women and cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, breast implant
safety, the effects of estrogen, and women and autoimmune disease ... [and] ...
continues to focus its scientific intramural research on gender effects and
regulatory science." Provides links to regulatory guidance, [OWH] scientific
projects, publications, and health topics.
Name: HHS Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA):
Women's Health
URL: http://www.hrsa.gov/womenshealth/default.htm
Details: The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an agency of
the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), provides links to
women's health contacts; women's health resources; HRSA publications and
communications, including fact sheets on women's health; and HHS women's health
links. Information is provided about access to prenatal care, immunizations,
physical exams, and other preventive health care; community-based health
services for women and girls; HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment services for
women and children; cancer prevention services, nutrition and fitness, diabetes
management, domestic violence screening and referral, mental health, and oral
health programs; and health care and outreach services for women living in
rural communities coordinated by HRSA Office of Women's Health (WHO) through
HRSA programs.
Name: HHS Office on Women's Health
URL: http://4woman.gov/owh/index.htm
Description: "The Office on Women's Health (OWH) in the Department of
Health & Human Services (HHS) is the government's champion and focal point
for women's health issues, and works to redress inequities in research, health
care services, and education that have historically placed the health of women
at risk." Contains links to National Centers of Excellence in Women's
Health, National Community Centers of Excellence in Women's Health, minority
women's health, girl and adolescent health, older women's health, reproductive
health, violence against women, HIV/AIDS in women, breast health, environmental
health, international health, and much more.
Name: HHS Office of Women's Health (OWH): National Women's Health
Information Center
URL: http://4woman.gov
Description: The National Women's
Name: ihr.com Internet Health Resources: For Consumers
URL: http://www.ihr.com/
Description: IHR develops, hosts, and promotes infertility Web sites for
infertility organizations and provides links that are useful to consumer and
professionals. This site includes information about all aspects of infertility,
including, In vitro fertilization (IVF), gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT),
tubal embryo transfer (TET), intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), egg
donation, financial issues, subject matter experts, and sperm banks.
Information about Internet newsgroups and mailing lists, research, journals,
medications, infertility medical supplies, and adoption is also provided.
Name: National Women's Health Resource Center (NWHRC)
URL: http://www.healthywomen.org/
Description: The National Women's Health Resource Center (NWHRC) is a
non-profit, national clearinghouse for women's health information. NWHRC
develops original health materials and content specifically for women, and
provides links to related news, public education campaigns, conferences/events,
information about book titles, national organizations, and contact information
for local health departments.
Name: NIH National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Women's Mental
Health Consortium (WMHC)
URL: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/wmhc/index.cfm
Description: The WMHC at the National Institute of Mental Health provides
information on mental health occurrence, treatment, outcomes, and research as
it related to women. Links to research, publications and reports; news and
events, including upcoming seminars and conferences; conference summaries; and
related federal sites are given.
Name: NIH Office of Research on Women's Health
URL: http://www4.od.nih.gov/orwh/
Description: Links are given to reports (e.g.: Agenda for Research on Women's
Health for the 21st Century: Executive Summary); funding support for ongoing
research, conference and workshops, special projects, etc.; various
publications, including fact sheets and research agendas; videocasts of upcoming
and past workshops, conferences, and events can be viewed.
Name: Society for Women's Health Research
URL: http://www.womens-health.org/
Description: Nonprofit advocacy group "promotes the inclusion of women in
medical research studies and encourage the scientific examination of the basic
biological and physiological differences between men and women, and how those
differences affect both health and disease." Information about sex-based
biology research, including links to the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the
National Academy of Sciences report in April 2001, "Exploring the
Biological Contributions to Human Health: Does Sex Matter?" as well as
information about understanding research [and its implications for women's
health] are provided. Information about sex differences in several health
conditions, such as autoimmune diseases, heart health, internal medicine,
mental health, is provided as well as links to specific data summaries for
particular conditions. Society activities, advocacy policy, and press releases
can be accessed.
Name: WebMD Healthy Women
URL: http://my.webmd.com/living_better/her
Description: WebMD is an online information, research, educational services and
communities for consumers and physicians. Links are given to current news,
health conditions (select women's conditions), message boards, and health
newsletter.
Name: The North American Menopause Society
URL: http://www.menopause.org/
Description: A scientific nonprofit organization devoted to promoting women's
health during midlife and beyond through an understanding of menopause.
Information is provided for health care consumers and professionals alike, such
as, literature about perimenopause/menopause, educational materials, referral
lists, participation in research studies, scientific studies, competency exams,
etc. This organization has a multidisciplinary membership of 2,000 leaders in
the field including clinical and basic science experts from medicine, nursing,
sociology, psychology, nutrition, anthropology, epidemiology, pharmacy, and
education.
MEN’S HEALTH WEBSITES:
Name: Ask NOAH About: Men's Health
URL: http://www.noah-health.org/english/wellness/healthyliving/menshealth.html
Description:
Name: MEDLINE Plus - Men's Health Topics
URL: http://medlineplus.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/menshealth.html
Description: Includes info on Prostate Diseases, Impotence,Testicular Cancer as
well as PubMed searches on Men's Health Topics.
Name: MayoClinic.com – Men’s Center
URL:http://www.mayoclinic.com/findinformation/healthylivingcenter/centers.cfm?objectid=0004FC18-621F-1B37-8D7E80C8D77A0000
Description: Information on specific conditions and care, Lifestyle, and a
section on Being Male. This section features information and interactive tools
on health issues unique to men. What's "normal" for the male body,
what can go wrong and what can be done about it.
Name: Medem Medical Library: Men's Health
URL: http://www.medem.com/MedLB/sub_detaillb.cfm?parent_id=55&act=disp
Description: Healthcare information from the nation’s medical societies on
Healthy Living, Reproductive and Sexual Function, Prostate Conditions and Other
Men’s Health Issues.
Name:
URL: http://www.aafp.org/patientinfo/health5.html
Description: Information pamphlets on a range of health topics including
prostate cancer screening, hypertension, diet, lowering cholesterol and
lifestyle.
SPECIFIC HEALTH PROBLES WEB SITES:
Name: Alzheimer's Association
URL: http://www.alz.org/
Description: The “I Have Alzheimer’s” page links to information on living and
coping with Alzheimer’s disease. The site’s “
Name: American Academy of Dermatology - Public Resources
URL: http://www.aad.org/patient_intro.html
Description: Includes a “Find a Dermatologist” directory, news, and
sidebar links to special pages of extensive information on the most common skin
conditions, such as acne (AcneNet), aging skin (AgingSkinNet). Download
illustrated pamphlets on a variety of skin, hair, and nail diseases,
conditions, and topics at: http://www.aad.org/pamphlets/index.html.
Name: American Dental Association - The Public
URL: http://www.ada.org/public/index.asp
Description: Includes “Oral Health Topics A-Z” with frequently asked questions,
illustrations, overviews, and information on prevention, cosmetic dentistry, and
restorative procedures. The site also provides information specifically for
children, teens, and seniors and a “Find a Dentist” directory.
Name: American Heart Association
URL: http://www.americanheart.org
Description: The ‘Heart & Stroke Encyclopedia” in the sidebar links to an
extensive alphabetical list of topics providing definitions, descriptions,
treatment information, scientific statements, and very helpful links to related
information on the site. The “Diseases and Conditions” and “Children: Heart
Disease and Health” pages provide more in-depth information on selected topics.
The site also includes a “Heart Profilers” decision tool, news, healthy
lifestyle information, and charts of heart attack, stroke, and cardiac arrest
warning signs.
Name: American Lung Association
URL: http://www.lungusa.org
Description: This is the premier site for consumer information on lung disease.
It is attractive, easy to navigate, and loaded with educational and useful
information. Included are special pages of information on asthma, tobacco
control, air quality, occupational health, school programs, living with lung
disease, data and statistics, reports on research, and advocacy news. The
“Diseases A to Z” pages contain information sheets on lung disorders. Each
information sheet contains a description of the disease, causes, statistics,
treatment, and suggestions for self-management. Additional information includes
research and selected links to related authoritative Web sites. Pages include
revision/review dates.
Name: Asthma and Allergy Foundation of
URL: http://www.aafa.org/
Description: Access consumer information pages from the Asthma &
Allergies link on the left sidebar. Includes a pollen count zip code search
feature, explanations of asthma and allergies, an Ask the Allergist
e-mail feature, a questions & answers/glossary page, a Teen page, and links
to additional professional and government sites with asthma and allergy
information. The site’s “Answers” fact sheets provide articles on 50 topics.
Contact information is provided on each page.
Name: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
URL: http://www.cdc.gov
Description: The CDC is an agency of the Department of Health and Human
Services, dedicated to promoting health and quality of life by preventing and
controlling disease, injury, and disability. Of special interest to the
consumer is Health Topics A to Z at: http://www.cdc.gov/health/default.htm.These
pages provide information about diseases, conditions and other special topics
arranged under “Health Information.” This extensive and growing list of topics
includes Frequently Asked Questions, checklists, related links, pages for kids,
travelers’ health, and lots of extras with attractive and useful illustrations.
Navigation is easy and links back to the Health Topics page are available on
each page. Consumer information is clearly identified, and pages include
revision/review dates.
Name: Centers for Disease
Control,
URL: http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/dhap.htm
Description: Well designed and easy to navigate, this site offers consumer
information on the basic science of HIV/AIDS, prevention, counseling, testing,
treatment, care-giving, and research. It provides brochures, fact sheets, and
Frequently Asked Questions. It links to other resources, such as conferences,
hotlines, and additional selected Web sites. Pages include revision/review
dates.
Name: Healthfinder - Health Library (U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services)
URL: http://www.healthfinder.gov/library/
Description: Provides links to online publications, clearinghouses,
databases, other Web sites, support and self-help groups, government agencies,
and nonprofit organizations that produce reliable consumer health information.
Name: Joslin Diabetes Center
URL: http://www.joslin.harvard.edu/
Description: The Joslin Diabetes Center is an internationally recognized
diabetes treatment, research and education institution affiliated with
Name: MayoClinic.com - Diseases and Conditions A-Z (Mayo
Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
URL: http://www.mayoclinic.com/findinformation/diseasesandconditions/index.cfm
Description: “All material on the site is developed and/or reviewed by Mayo
Clinic physicians and researchers… All material is grounded in scientific
research…[,] dated…[and] continuously reviewed.”
Name: MEDLINEplus, Health Topics (National Library of Medicine)
URL: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/healthtopics.html
Description: A directory of authoritative and reliable sources on
500+ diseases and conditions. Includes links to overviews, clinical trials,
health organizations, statistics, and news. There are also links to information
on diagnosis, treatment, management, and rehabilitation. The site is updated
daily.
Name: Merck Manual - Home Edition
URL: http://www.merckhomeedition.com/
Description: Information for consumers written by nearly 200 leading
medical experts. Searchable with illustrations, audio and video enhancements,
and choice of a text or an interactive version. Continually updated with
notices of updates on its “Changes and Corrections” page. See the table of
contents (text version) at: http://www.merck.com/mrkshared/mmanual_home/contents.jsp
Name: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
URL:http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/index.htm
Description: NHLBI site provides extensive information on diseases
of the heart, blood vessels, lung, blood, and on sleep disorders. Links on it’s
“Health Information” page lead to a variety of resources on virtually all
aspects of these conditions, some specifically for Latinos and women.
Name: National Immunization
Program (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
URL: http://www.cdc.gov/nip/
Description: This site provides guides and recommendations on immunization for
children, adults, and travelers. It also includes information on disease
prevention, fact sheets, a glossary, information on benefits and risks of
immunization, news, and downloadable publications (PDF) and educational
resources.
Name: National Institute of Mental Health - For the Public
URL: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/index.cfm
Description: This site provides information about the symptoms, diagnosis, and
treatment of mental illnesses, including clinical trials, reports from the
Surgeon General, and news. Many educational and informative publications are
available in full-text, including brochures, information sheets, and fact
sheets. The “Science Education” page contains links to Quick Time videos and
other visual resources.
Name: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
(NINDS) - Disorders
URL: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/health_and_medical/disorder_index.htm
Description: This site contains an extensive alphabetical list disorders that
link to detailed information for consumers. These pages include a description
of the disorder, information on treatment, prognosis, current research, health
organizations supporting the disorder, and a list of related publications and
information. Links in the sidebar take the consumer to studies with patients,
research literature, and press releases. Pages include revision/review dates
Name: National Institutes of Health, Health Information (U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services)
URL: http://www.nih.gov/health/
Description: Provides information on specific diseases and
conditions from the institutes that research them. Full-text publications include
brochures, fact sheets, and handbooks. The site also provides information on
research studies, clinical trials and drugs; a database of toll-free
information numbers; and links to other trusted resources
Name: National Stroke Association
URL: http://www.stroke.org/about.cfm
Description: This “All About Stroke” page provides excellent consumer/patient
information and includes a “Top 8 Links” sidebar. There is information for
survivors and caregivers; information on prevention, prevention, and clinical
trials; a glossary; and links to other stroke-related resources.
Name: Your Orthopedic Connection (American
URL: http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/
Description: Provides an extensive list of illustrated fact sheets and patient
education booklets on various orthopedic conditions, diseases, and injuries.
Includes information on prevention, safety, sports, and wellness; a “Find an
Orthopedist” directory; and news. Pages provide review/revision dates.
General Drug Information Resources:
Name: Drug InfoNet
URL: http://www.druginfonet.com/
Description: This site provides not only
prescription drug information and information from the drug manufacturers, but
also provides information on diseases and links to various healthcare
organizations and government sites.
Name: Needy Meds
URL: http://www.needymeds.com/
Description: NeedyMeds attempts to bring together programs from the various
pharmaceutical manufacturers to assist people who can't afford to purchase
their prescriptions. Each company has its own program, special requirements,
forms and procedures. To date, no central clearinghouse exists for obtaining
information about the information or the drugs themselves. This site is an
information source only.
Name: RxList - The Internet Drug Index
URL: http://www.rxlist.com/
Description: A very useful drug index, It has an excellent search engine and
provides information on both a consumer and professional level. Information on
various disease categories is also provided as is Taber's Medical Encyclopedia.
An advanced search engine is also available which allows searching by drug
name, keyword, imprint code, NDC and medical terminology as well.
Name: Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
URL: http://www.fda.gov
Description: The Food and Drug Administration oversees pharmaceuticals as well
as medical devices and their approval. Searching the Center for Drug Evaluation
and Research section will link to original approval letters as well as
professional and consumer information on prescription and over-the-counter
drugs. Although somewhat cumbersome to search, this site is a wealth of drug
information for both professionals and consumers.
Name: CenterWatch/Clinical Trials Listing Service
URL: http://www.centerwatch.com
Description: This useful resource lists newly approved drugs; drugs in current
clinical research; weekly trial results as well as a link to the PDR Family
Medical Guide for Prescription Drugs.
Name: HerbMed
URL: http://www.herbmed.org/index.asp
URL for the Herb List: http://www.herbmed.org/herblist.asp?varAll=All&varName=Scientific
Description: Complementary Medicine: Produced by the Alternative Medicine
Foundation, HerbMed provides evidence-based information on the use of herbs for
health for both health professionals and the general public. More than 120
different herbs are currently represented in the database (searchable and
listed alphabetically). Links are provided to authoritative medical references.
Name: Not-2-late.com: The Emergency contraception website
URL: http://ec.princeton.edu
Description: Not-2-late.com is a comprehensive resource on emergency
contraception that is geared toward consumers. The information provided on the
site is accurate and current.
Name: Merck - Medco
URL: http://www.merck-medco.com
Description: Drug Information: Consumer-oriented drug information (click on
"Find drug information" on the homepage, then search by drug name),
well organized with dates of latest updates to the monographs noted. Also
includes a toll-free number with extensions for recorded information about each
specific brand name drug.
General (Other) Useful Health Sites:
Name: CenterWatch Clinical Trials Listing Service
URL: http://www.centerwatch.com/
Description: CenterWatch Clinical Trials Listing Service contains trials for
many types of diseases. It is searchable by disease categories and geographic
area. All of the trials listed are open (enrolling new patients).
Name: ClinicalTrials.gov
URL: http://clinicaltrials.gov
Description: The U.S. National Institutes of
Health, through its National Library of
Medicine, has developed ClinicalTrials.gov to provide patients, family
members and members of the public current information about clinical research
studies. Before searching, you may want to learn more about clinical trials and
more about this Web site. Check often for regular updates to
ClinicalTrials.gov. ClinicalTrials.gov provides easy access to information
about the location of clinical trials, their design and purpose, criteria for
participation and additional disease and treatment information. Check often for
regular updates to ClinicalTrials.gov.
Name: Comparison of Health Information Megasites
URL: http://www.lib.umich.edu/megasite/
Description: Twenty-five Internet sites considered authoritative sources of
health information were evaluated using the following criteria: Administration
and Quality Control, Content, and Design. Comparisons are made across all sites
with specific focus on selection policies, update frequency, response time to
e-mail requests, and features such as use of tables, frames, Java, and animated
GIFs, navigation tools, and search engines. By librarians: P. F. Anderson,
Northwestern University; Nancy Allee, Jean Chung, Brian Westra, University of
Michigan; and Virginia Lingle, Pennsylvania State University.
Name: Health Care Information Resources
URL: http://www.liszt.com/select/Health/
Description: Liszt is an enormous directory of Internet discussion groups:
mailing lists, newsgroups, and IRC chat channels. It is a way to find groups of
people on the 'net discussing whatever it is you really care about. Sometimes
just "talking with" someone else who has the same concern is a great
help.
Name: Birth Control: Planned Parenthood Federation of
URL: http://www.plannedparenthood.org
Description: This Website is sponsored by PPFA and
the premier non profit advocacy organization for reproductive health care and
birth control information/access.
Name: Breastfeeding
URL: http://www.lalecheleague.org
Description: La Leche League International is one of
the leading authorities on breastfeeding information, especially information
for consumers. The purpose of the Web site is to provide a wide range of
education and support to breastfeeding mothers.
Name:
Name: ProMoM: Promotion of Mother’s Milk Inc.
URL: http://promom.org
Description: This site identifies the organization
as: “a non-profit dedicated to increasing public awareness and public
acceptance of breastfeeding.” The information provided on this site is accurate
and current.
Name: The Nursing Lounge
URL: http://www.parentingweb.com/lounge_index.htm
Description: This is one section of a large
parenting site. The purpose of this site is to provide information and
interaction for nurturing parents Consumers are the site’s intended audience.
Name: Nanny’s Place: Breastfeeding
URL: http://www.moonlily.com/breastfeed
Description: This is a support and information site
for breastfeeding mothers and families. It is intended for families, mothers,
mothers-to-be, and women considering pregnancy.
Name: Medela
Description: This site allows breastfeeding mothers
and health care professionals to access information related to the art and
science of breastfeeding. It provides support and information on
breastfeeding.
Name: Innerbody - Human anatomy
URL: http://www.innerbody.com/htm/body.html
Description: An interactive site for the study of human anatomy.
Name: AMA Physician Select
URL: http://www.ama-assn.org/aps/amahg.htm
Description: Find a Doctor: This is a comprehensive Web database directory of
medical doctors (MDs) and osteopaths (DOs) practicing in the
Name: Quackwatch
URL: http://www.quackwatch.com/
Description: Consumer Information: Quackwatch is a nonprofit company formed by
Dr. Stephen Barrett to expose health-related "frauds, myths, fads and
fallacies". Well-researched, up-to-date, authoritative information on a
wide range of practices and medical advertising deemed questionable or obvious
"quackery." English, Spanish, German, French and Portuguese language
versions available.
Name: Foodfit.com
URL: http://www.foodfit.com
Description: This Web site was founded to help consumers lead healthier lives.
Information on nutrition and fitness is easily accessed through visually
appealing icons on the homepage.
Name:
URL: http://www.noah-health.org
Description: This Web site’s nutrition pages addresses “Nutrition and
Pregnancy,” Nutrition and Disease,” Food Biotechnology/Radiation,” and “Nutrition
and Children.”
Name: Nutrition Navigator: A Rating Guide to Nutrition Web
Sites
URL: http://www.navigator.tufts.edu
Description: This Web site was developed to address two specific concerns Web
users have when seeking information: 1) quick access and 2) trustworthy
information.
Name: American Dietetic Association
URL: http://www.eatright.org
Description: This Web site is the homepage for the American Dietetic Association.
Accessing this site provides information on what is available for consumers and
health care providers. Users can obtain information on nutrition and health
lifestyles.
Name:
URL: http://www.nccam.nih.gov
Description: This is the Web site for the center for complimentary/Alternative
Medicine at the National Institute of Health. It is a multipurpose site that provides
information for health professionals and consumers.
Name: Precious Aromatherapy
URL: http://www.aromatherapy.com
Description: This is a commercial firm which offers extensive information on
aromatherapy, including a description of aromatherapy and essential oils and a
review of many essential oils, including their botanical and common names.
Name: American Botanical Council
URL: http://www.herbalgram.org
Description: This is the Web site for the American Botanical Council,
which is a nonprofit research and education organization. This site has a
predominately commercial focus, with selling educational products related to
herbal preparation as its main focus.
Web users must always make an independent judgment of the quality of the information posted on web sites. Many aspects should be considered. Some are related to the clarity of the information, others to its relevance, yet others to its reliability.
The following list is in no way comprehensive, and is only intended as a reminder of the many pitfalls related to medical information on the Web.
Factors related to clarity may include whether or not:
Factors related to relevance include whether or not:
Factors related to reliability include whether or not:
Conclusion:
The quality and variability
of information on the Internet are generally recognized as a problem and there is no agreement on how to
resolve them. Rating schemes have been suggested as one possibility, but they
have not yet been used by any legal information Websites. Ratings can be used
in making assessments, and analyses of Websites.
There are problems associated
with developing a rating form that the general public can use to test a legal
information site. Perhaps the form should be designed for subject matter
experts, and then the ratings posted as a seal on the reviewed site or as a
listing of quality sites included in a clearinghouse. That information would be
valuable for both the legal consumer and the site developer.
If consumers do choose to use
the Internet to find legal information, it may be best for them to approach
law-related sites as places to gather background data and information on
personal legal matters. They may then use this information as the basis for a
more informed approach to their lawyer and the legal system.
Reference:
1) Fitzpatrick J. Joyce. The Nurses’ Guide to Consumer Health Web Sites. Springer Publishing Company. 2001.
2) Public Health Management and Policy Class MPHP 439. Guide to Good Websites for Disease. Fourth Edition.
3) Internet
Source: Evaluating Websites: Criteria for Assessing the Quality of Health
Information on the Internet: http://online.sfsu.edu/~advprac/websites/evaluatingwebsites.htm.
4) Internet
Source: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly: Or Why it’s a Good idea to Evaluate Web
Sources: http://lib.nmsu.edu/instruction/evalcrit.html.
5) Internet
Source: Evaluating Health Information: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/evaluatinghealthinformation.html.
6) Internet
source: A report on the Evaluation of Criteria Sets for Assessing Health Web
Sites:http://www.consumerwebwatch.com/news/health/goldschmidt_report.pdf.
7) Internet
Source: Evaluating Websites and Information: http://www.namss.org.uk/evaluate.htm.