According to a study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, the number of American adults who relied on the Internet to help them make important healthcare decisions rose from 52 million in the year 2000 to 73 million by May 2002.

--David Sharp, D.O., an internal medicine physician with Alegent Health Lakeside Internal Medicine. Find out more about Dr. Sharp 18 percent of individuals who surf the web for health information have tried to diagnose their own health condition. According to David Sharp, D.O., internal medicine physician at Alegent Health, even if the information on a web site is accurate, it's not meant to replace a physician's advice. Of special concern to Dr. Sharp are patients who obtain medications without their physician's advice.

 And Dr. Sharp says there may be occasions when taking the time to search the Internet for information can be dangerous. For example, in the case of a child with a fever, searching the Internet, rather than seeing your physician right away, can lead to the worsening of a serious condition, such as meningitis.

Although Dr. Sharp often communicates with his patients via e-mail for as an added mode of communication, he stresses that only a physical examination by a physician should result in a diagnosis and treatment plan.

Because only half of the individuals who search the web for health information consider the source or verify the information, the editors of the study by the Pew Foundation requested that the Medical Library Association provide a guide to searching for health information on the Internet. Below is a list of some of their content evaluation guidelines:

• Sponsorship - know who the sponsor is so you can establish whether the site is respected and dependable
• Currency - make sure the site is updated frequently
• Factual Information - make sure the information on the site is factual and not just someone's opinion
• Audience - determine whether the information is intended for a consumer or health professional

So, are there positive aspects involved in looking up health information on the Internet? Many Americans think so. The majority of individuals who search the web for health information feel that the Internet has improved the way they take care of their health.

Many double-check their information with their physicians, and most of those individuals say their doctor was interested in their information. Only two percent thought their doctor would not listen.

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