Medical information on the Internet: a study of an electronic bulletin board

OBJECTIVE: To assess medical information provided in a medically oriented Internet discussion group, in terms of the professional status of the individuals providing information, the consistency of the information with standard medical practice, and the nature of the evidence cited in support of specific claims or recommendations. DESIGN: Standardized review of 1,658 consecutive messages on a particular online discussion group during a 5-month period. SETTING: An online discussion group for sufferers of painful hand and arm conditions. SUBJECTS: All participants in this discussion group during the study period. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Professional training of those offering medical information, consistency of the advice and recommendations offered with conventional medical practice, and nature of evidence cited in support of medical claims were determined. Of all messages, 55.9% (927) addressed a medical topic. Of these, 79% (732) provided medical information, of which 89.3% (654) were authored by persons without professional medical training, and 5.1% (37) were authored by trained health professionals. Approximately one third of the medical information provided was classified as unconventional. Personal experience was the basis of information provided in 61% of the nonprofessionals' messages and 13.5% of the professionals' messages, while no source was given as the basis of information provided in 29.8% of the nonprofessionals' messages and 67.6% of the professionals' messages. A published source was cited in 9.2% of the nonprofessionals' and 18.9% of the professionals' messages. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that medical information available on Internet discussion groups may come from nonprofessionals and may be unconventional, based on limited evidence, and/or inappropriate.     

Therapeutic information on the Internet

The internet provides a vast array of information accessible to anyone with a personal computer, a modem, and an internet account. It can be difficult to locate appropriate sites and determine their utility. This article provides a point-in-time sampling of the internet for therapeutic information. The URL for sites are provided along with a brief review of the content and its applicability to veterinary therapeutics.     

HIV and AIDS information on the Internet

This evaluation compared the pressure support qualities of three mattresses by measuring the interface pressures using 20 subjects. The results indicate that the Pegasus Airwave mattress had significantly higher readings than Quattro DC2000 (p = 0.021, 95% confidence level) and the Nimbus II (p = 0.009, 99% confidence level) but that there is no significant difference between interface pressures for the Quattro DC2000 and the Nimbus II.     

因特网冶金信息资源开发与利用

探讨了情报信息部门如何充分开发互联网上的冶金信息资源,在企业内部网上进行现代化服务,同时介绍了开发网络信息服务的途径与方法。     

Rating health information on the Internet: navigating to knowledge or to Babel?

A case of prostatic rhabdomyosarcoma in an 8-year-old boy is presented. He was referred to Kurobe City Hospital with chief complaints of urinary retention and fever. Radiologic examinations revealed a huge prostatic tumor. Prostatic needle biopsy was performed and the pathological diagnosis was embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma of the prostate. He was referred to our hospital and treated with chemotherapy consisting of cisplatin, vincristine, cyclophosphamide, adriamycin, actinomycin-D and radiotherapy based on the regimen of IRS III. Total prostatectomy was performed 6 months after the start of therapy. Viable tumor cells were found in the prostate and the left obturator lymph nodes. After the operation, we continued chemotherapy. No recurrence was observed 8 months after the operation. However, local recurrence occurred in the pelvis 10 months after the operation and he died 2 months after the recurrence.     

The Internet as a resource for healthcare information

The Internet provides an additional means for healthcare providers to reach their patients. As more and more healthcare providers and patients get on-line and learn to use the Internet, the value of being on-line will increase. The Internet and other healthcare computing technologies will challenge us to look to the future for new ways to create partnerships with our patients. On-line skills and technological literacy will not replace more traditional approaches to patient care, but they most likely will change the model of how care is provided. Technology is an adjunct that will serve us well if it is incorporated as part of a multidimensional patient care environment. Above all, we will need to continue to foster good interpersonal relationships with patients to encourage ongoing dialogues about information obtained from all resources.