Some medical Web sites are more reliable than others

DANVILLE, Ill. -- Lucy Webb knows people are out there searching the Web for health information. She just wants them to be getting good information.

Her wish led her recently to present "Surf Your Way to Good Health," a seminar sponsored by Provena United Good Samaritans Medical Center.

Webb is the librarian at the medical center and at the Lakeview School of Nursing. Most of the inquiries she handles come from medical personnel, but occasionally she gets a question from the general public.

"I wanted to let people know that there are ways to determine the reliability of the sites they are searching for medical information," she said. "I think people don't realize how much deception there is on the Internet. I want people to be safe as they are informed."

Webb said she especially wants people to be aware of who is operating the Web sites they are checking.

"One site thought to be associated with former U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Coop ... has since been taken over by a vitamin company," she said. "While the information may still be as correct, it could also be slanted toward the owner's product."

Searches on such keywords as "heartburn" will bring up a host of Web pages, some of them sponsored by drug companies or others with a vested interest in the information they provide.

Webb stressed that while she doesn't encourage self-diagnosis, "searching Web sites is an opportunity to be more informed in order to have a better discussion with your doctor."

So which Web sites are trustworthy?

Webb says she has found sites sporting the "HONcode" icon of the "Health on the Net Foundation" to be reliable. See www.hon.ch/ for the foundation's home page.

The Health on the Net Foundation, founded in 1995, is a not-for-profit organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, designed to guide nonmedical personnel to reliable online health information. When a Web site carries the icon that says "HONcode," you can click on the icon to reach a special page showing the site's accreditation status with the foundation.

There are several requirements for sites carrying the HONcode icon. They are, for example, required to include that the information comes from trained and qualified professionals unless there's a statement to the contrary. Other requirements are that confidentiality guidelines are strictly adhered to; that, where appropriate, attribution is given for the information provided; that the Webmaster's address be given; and, if advertising is a source of revenue, that will be stated.

Webb says the site she most often uses herself is MEDLINEplus, at www.medlineplus.gov, sponsored by the National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health. This site features health topics, drug information, links to other resources and current health news. The site also offers information on research studies and clinical trials, with graphics and video tutorials available. It is offered in both English and Spanish.

Webb also uses the site of the Centers for Disease Control, at www.cdc.gov, to follow up on rumors and possible misinformation, as well as to check on any disease outbreaks in certain areas before traveling.