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Sree's Thoughts on Medical Info
 Friday, April 13, 2001

MEDICAL AND HEALTH information is one of the most popular topics on the Web. By one conservative estimate, there are more than 5,000 sites offering health information -- everything from sites where you can read about a disease to places with interactive support groups.

Many doctors are worried that patients are relying on the Web for medical information but are not careful about what kind of sites they visit.

Some things to keep in mind while looking at a medical site:

  • It's important to look to see who is running the site. Is it a site offering impartial information or is it mainly pushing a type of medication?

  • Don't forget to read the privacy policies of such sites. What are they doing with your information?

  • Remember that no one can diagnose you truly well online. The Web is just a start.

Medical journalist Katherine Uraneck, MD, warns patients: "When asking for advice, use caution, unless you know the source and the credentials of the source. Just because it is on the Internet doesn't mean it is true.

Here are three popular sites you may have heard of and one you may not have:

MEDSCAPE: Medscape is a good place to start your search online. It offers the largest collection of medical articles and databases. It requires a one-time free registration.

WEBMD: WebMD is another all-encompassing site. I especially like its "newly diagnosed" section, which gives new patients a place to learn quickly about their condition.

ABOUT.COM HEALTH: I often turn to About.com when I don't know much about a topic. Its health section does not disappoint. It has useful links to various aspects of medicine and health issues.

CLINICALTRIALS.GOV: ClinicalTrials.gov is a site run by the National Institutes of Health and lists more than 5,000 clinical trials run by various federal agencies, with information about patient recruiting for those trials.

Resources (just a start):


Send your feedback -- and ideas for coverage: techguru@sree.net

 

Sree's Site of The Week


TaxPlanet
http://www.taxplanet.com


I already did a segment on tax help on the Web (in early March), but I know some of you still need help before this coming tax-filing deadline.

So I chose TaxPlanet, a site that has excellent information on taxes and tax planning.

Look specifically for its "Procrastinator's Tax Guide" and last-minute tax filing tips and caveats.

And if you don't think you can make Monday's deadline, you can learn how to file for an automatic extension.

This site, run by Gary Klott, former tax columnist of The New York Times, was named best tax site by Money magazine last year.

http://www.taxplanet.com

See my earlier segment on taxes & the Web (March 2001)

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