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The Internet provides help, confusion for patients

Patient Safety Monitor Alert, September 1, 2005

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Patients are increasingly turning to the Internet for healthcare information. That sometimes can have very positive results, such as when a patient found a medical study to treat his advanced form of cancer. Other times, it can confuse patients or sell them on remedies that aren't well-suited for their conditions, according to an article in the San Diego Union-Tribune.

About 80% of adults who use the Internet have searched for medical information, according to a Pew poll cited in the article. Of those, nearly 40% said they had a hard time discerning whether the information they found was useful.

Drug manufacturers particularly have appealing Web sites that can convince patients they need a particular brand of medication. Physicians sometimes find resistance from patients who have found such drugs online.

To read the complete article, click here.

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