Health.com

Diablo - The Magazine of the East Bay
January 2000

by Ed Frauensheim

Sick of rushed visits to the doctor and scanty information from your HMO? You might try getting a second opinion online. A variety of websites offer medical information, health-related services, and even opportunities to get advice from real-world physicians.

Among the most comprehensive of these sites is based right in Pleasanton. PersonalMD.com allows you to store medical records in cyberspace, provides health news tailored to your interests and lets you pose questions to doctors.

The wealth of free information on topics ranging from Alzheimer's to yeast infections can help patients frustrated by the brush-off felt at man HMO's, says David Chazin, vice president of marketing at PersonalMD.com.

"No one's ever going to replace physicians, " he says. "[But] because of today's managed-care situation, the physicians do not have as much time as they had in the past to answer consumers' questions."

Besides offering facts about health issues and ailments, PersonalMD.com has a cyberservice that just might help you in a real-life medical crisis. The site's Emergency Card allows you to store health information online that emergency room doctors may find important, such as EKG tests and personal illness history. You get a wallet-sized card, which emergency medical professionals are trained to look for, Chazin says. With the card, doctors can access your health information over the web or via fax.

PersonalMD.com is hoping consumers will store all their medical records on the web. That service hits on a touchy subject. President Clinton recently proposed rules governing the privacy of patients' medical records. Chazin says the rules shouldn't affect the site since consumers would have complete authority over who has access to them.

PersonalMD.com is far from the only place to get medical information online. Here's a shortlist of top health websites:

www.DrKoop.com Former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. C. Everett Koop heads this site, which has information on various medical conditions, a guide to health insurance, and a "drug checker." Where you can see if multiple medications might interact to cause harm. The site has come under criticism, including a charge that advertisers weren't clearly identified. DrKoop.com made changes to the site but denied any wrongdoing.

www.OnHealth.com This site has information on traditional Western medicine and alternative healing, such as aromatherapy. It offers personalized health news and sponsors live chats. It allows visitors to pose questions to health experts.

www.HealthCentral.com This Emeryville-based site was founded by media personality Dr. Dean Edell. It has a "People's Pharmacy" where you can explore herbal remedies, as well as sections on fitness and wellness. HealthCentral.com allows you to ask questions of physicians, including "Dr. Dean."

www.InteliHealth.com A joint venture between Aetna U.S. Healthcare and Johns Hopkins University and Health System, this site's information is reviewed by experts at Johns Hopkins. You can ask the experts questions, research diseases and join chats on topics such as allergies and the effect of media violence on kids.

Searching for health information and products online always carries a certain risk: who is trustworthy? It's probably best not to take treatment advice found on the Internet without running it by your family doctor.

Also, beware of hidden agendas on sites. PersonalMD's Chazin says his site keeps editorial content separate from advertising. But he warns that elsewhere, that line can be blurred. "If the website seems to be including the ability to buy a product within the article, you may question the validity of that content," he says.

Aside from commercial health sites, there are many publicly funded sites. These include:

http://nhic-nt.health.org The National Health Information Center. This is a reference service sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

www.cdc.gov The website of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Here you can find health statistics and disease fact sheets.

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Press Contact for Media:
For PersonalMD.com
Susan Cossette
Susan@PersonalMD.com
925/460-9088