Reader Beware: Using The Internet For Medical Information

By Tanjua Damon

The Internet has evolved into a useful tool to find information about various topics. Medically, the Internet can be a useful tool to find answers to medical questions, and to identify specific diseases, medication, and different medical options for certain procedures.

Even though the Internet is a useful tool, consumers using it to research medical information need to be careful about who is providing the information and what sites they are visiting.

Why do people use the Internet to find personal medical information? Andrew Keller, MD, a cardiologist at Danbury Hospital, believes people use the Internet to answer questions they may have about a medical problem or to search for additional information. It is important, however, to discuss this information with your physician, he said.

“[Patients] go online to find answers to their questions and options,” Dr Keller said. “You take the information you get there and go back to your doctor and discuss it. You don’t want to come back with two feet of paper.”

Being able to research medical problems so patients can pose more questions to their doctors is a great use of the Internet, he said. “That’s really the benefit. It lets you understand the problem so you can ask the correct questions.”

Dr Keller does warn Internet users to be cautious about where and from whom they are getting their medical information. He recommends using sites that are authoritative and complete, and ones that avoid conflict of interest.

“Make sure when you are posing a question that it is concise,” Dr Keller said. “Ask yourself if you are the target audience and is the source reliable.”

Good places to look for medical information are government sites, universities, societies and organizations, such as the American Medical Association, which has separate sections for the general public. Recommended search engines for experienced Internet users include Altavista, Directhit, and Goggle.

“Standard search engines tend to return too much information and are not intended for the questions,” Dr Keller said. “We’re not assured of the authority of the source. There’s a lot of content out there when it comes to your health.”

Newsgroups are not the most accurate place to find information about your medical needs, Dr Keller said, particularly since you do not know if the source providing the information is credible.

“Do not pose questions or read answers from newsgroups,” he said. “There is a real concern about privacy. If you post something on a newsgroup today, I’ll be able to read it tomorrow. They are a very insecure area. Don’t post anything with your name.”

Dr Keller cautions that sometimes medical problems can create situations where people want to hear certain things about their condition, and a newsgroup can be dangerous if the person providing information is not a credible source.

“Sometimes they want to hear a certain answer to what they have,” he said. “But always go back to your doctors. They know you best.”

Overall the Internet is useful for general information, not for specific questions, he said.

“Is it good for patients? Yes, it is good for general information. For specific questions the answer is probably no. You should go to your doctor,” Dr Keller said. “No one knows you better than your own doctor. For prevention, medicine, and options, it’s a wonderful resource. For specific information it is not a wonderful resource, at least not yet.”

Danbury Hospital has created a new Web site for people to use to find doctors, medical information, and general information like directions to the hospital.

“We’ve always had a Web site. We found that it needed to be updated,” Lori Scott, Strategic Program Manager for Danbury Health Systems, said. “People are looking for information at their convenience, not necessarily from 9 to 5.”

Ms Scott believes this Web site will not only help patients be more independent, but it will also provide more organization for the hospital itself.

“For an organizational perspective in terms of effectiveness, it reduces phone calls,” she said. “Helps people be more self sufficient.”

Ms Scott does agree with Dr Keller that Internet users looking for medical information need to be cautious and alert to where they are going online and who is providing the information.

“It has its pros and cons. When someone puts an article out there, you don’t know where that came from,” Ms Scott said. “It’s helpful trying to find valid resources. More information can be helpful so you know you are not alone. We want to be that trusted site. We’ll provide you with the information.”

So when using the Internet to find medical information, Dr Keller reminds users to make sure the resource is credible, and to use newsgroups with caution and anonymously. And whatever information you find, discuss it with your physician.