On 21/02/2013 09:08, Mark wrote:
On Wed, 20 Feb 2013 20:38:41 +0000, alan
wrote:

On 19/02/2013 18:30, polygonum wrote:

One of the very significant effects of the internet is that patients are
now able to look things up and check them out in ways never previously
viable.

And find that in the USA commonalty available substances such as iodine
and silver will cure all know serious diseases and medical conditions so
there is no need to go to the doctor.

Don't forget the miracle cures, herbal remedies and homeopathic
'medicine'.

Looking on the Internet for medical informaion, IMHO, is usally a bad
idea. Some sites are obviously fake but others are harder to tell.


Many do not simply believe what they find!

Indeed, not only do I not believe, but I quite regularly engage in
interaction with site owners/doctors/researchers in order that errors I
happen to notice do get corrected.

There are many sites, some large and well-known, indeed even respected
by many, which give me heart-sink moments when I see them being quoted.
I'd include in those Mayo Clinics, LiveStrong, BBC Health, and some
parts of the NHS sites.

The point though is that access is possible in ways which would once
have been impossible even with access to a decent medical library. And I
don't see much on the internet that is worse than many magazines and
newspapers have been published for a very long time. In fact, I think
that what I see in the press might be better now partly because of the
possibility of feedback.

--
Rod