| div> | | | | Net surfers who are discerning and intelligent enough |
| Health information and medical advice on the Net | | | | to understand that there may indeed be more than |
| have set a new trend of self-help and online support | | | | one way to skin a cat. |
| and supplements the traditional direct healthcare | | | | For physicians and healthcare professionals the Net is |
| available from physicians and hospitals. | | | | quite a boom. They can get up to speed on the |
| The last time you were ill and went to your family | | | | latest research with a minimum of fuss, interact with |
| doctor, did you get a patient hearing? Maybe you did, | | | | their peers around the world and generally ensure |
| maybe you didn't. But chances are you were left | | | | that they're providing the best service and care to |
| totally in the dark regarding the nature of the pills and | | | | their patients. Doctors are already using the Internet |
| mixtures stuffed down your throat. And what of | | | | as a means of interacting more frequently with their |
| your illness? Were you in any way enlightened as to | | | | patients - doctors use e-mail and their web sites to |
| its cause, the prognosis or even the diagnosis. Not | | | | schedule appointments; patients who need to monitor |
| likely. Most doctors, while their intentions may be | | | | themselves daily (such as diabetes or hypertension) |
| good, are so overworked that they have hardly a | | | | can now upload results to their doctor's web site for |
| minute to spare to deal with you on human level. | | | | treatment advice. |
| Consequently if you enter the Internet, millions of | | | | Yes, the Internet is changing the doctor-patient |
| people are turning to the tens of thousands of health | | | | relationship and the way medical care is given; |
| related web sites on the Net for information, advise, | | | | increasing the layman's knowledge of health and |
| support and more. It's a great feeling to be able to | | | | diseases; and, making us all more aware of how our |
| keep yourself informed on the myriad medical | | | | bodies work and how to take care of them. But let's |
| problems you may face in the life - in some cases, | | | | not get carried away. There is too a downside to the |
| patients are quite happy to help themselves rather | | | | epidemic of online medicine that's sweeping through |
| than run to the doctor at first sniffle. With | | | | the web. When browsing through medical information, |
| better-informed patients, doctors can make better | | | | never make the mistake of taking what you read as |
| diagnosis of illness and the doctor-patient relationship | | | | gospel - least of all in unmoderated chat forums. |
| could then be on more equal terms. | | | | Guidelines for proper medical advice |
| What role does the Internet play in health today? | | | | 1. Just because a doctor puts up a photograph and |
| First, it's a medium by which health education can be | | | | resume on the web page, don't conclude that he's a |
| easily disseminated. Whether you want to learn how | | | | reputed physician. |
| your heart works, how to prevent heart attacks, | | | | 2. Connect only to recognizably reputed sites. |
| how to recognize the onset of a heart attack, what | | | | Reasonably safe sites include reputed hospitals, |
| first aid to administer to a heart attack victim, or | | | | well-known medical colleges, respected medical |
| how to cope with life after a heart attack, you'll find | | | | journals, top news agencies, and national associations |
| it all on the Internet. Through the multimedia wonders | | | | of medical practitioners or healthcare professionals. |
| of the web, the heart and its beat can be | | | | 3. Medical sites which have been reviewed and |
| experienced in all its glory. | | | | recommended by well-known medical associations are |
| An area in which the web is gaining credence is online | | | | likely to be safer. |
| medical advice. And in many cases, the advice is of | | | | 4. Always corroborate information and advice through |
| extremely high quality, as it is being provided by | | | | more than one source. |
| established experts rather than amateur agony aunts | | | | 5. Be wary of sites that ask you to purchase a |
| that pop up from time to time in newspaper | | | | proprietary medicine or some strange medication. |
| classifieds. On the World Wide Web what you do is | | | | 6. Sites offering psychiatric advice after payment of |
| read the already answered questions in a medical | | | | a one-time fee are often fraudulent and rip-off. |
| forum or submit a question or two of your own by | | | | 7. Advice from fellow-sufferers, especially if they |
| e-mail and then wait for the designated expert at the | | | | recommended medication/dosage has to be treated |
| web site to respond. | | | | with extreme caution. Always double-check with your |
| The Internet has long ago proved that it is an | | | | family doctor before implementing advice you receive |
| excellent medium for counseling - the anonymous | | | | on the Net. |
| face it provides to a troubled soul, through its chat | | | | 8. Don't take seriously any web site which ridicules |
| forums and Usenet newsgroups, fabricates a | | | | traditional medicine and offers unique miracle cure |
| therapeutic cocoon that even a qualified psychiatrist | | | | with promises of eternal life. Listen to them and you |
| would be hard-pressed to duplicate. | | | | may well land up at heaven's angel. |
| Another fallout from medicine on the web has been | | | | In the final analysis, you cannot expect to use the |
| the attention that non-conventional medical | | | | web as a replacement for your doctor, who is after |
| approaches have been getting - homeopathy, | | | | all a trained professional who understands you and |
| ayurveda, acupuncture, aroma-therapy, and a whole | | | | your needs far better than some CyberDoc in |
| lot of alternative healing methods have been able to | | | | Cyberspace who would perhaps not even be legally |
| put forth their case to an eager new generation of | | | | liable if his negligence or advice were to kill you. |