Medical info online not always reliable

By: E'LOUISE ONDASH - For the North County Times | Saturday, January 19, 2008 8:40 PM PST ∞

How dependable is the Internet for accurate, unbiased information about health and medicine?

Not very, according to the authors of a recent report called "Insta Americans: The Empowered (and Imperiled) Healthcare Consumer in the Age of Internet Medicine."

The study, conducted by the Center for Medicine in the Public interest, concluded that when consumers look for information on medications or common chronic conditions like arthritis or high blood pressure, they are likely to find pages of promotional material written by someone marketing products or lawyers looking for potential plaintiffs ---- both "illegitimate sources with ulterior motives."

The New York City-based center says it is a nonprofit, nonpartisan research and educational organization that fosters debate on health issues by demonstrating how technology and smart public policy can advance health care.

"Our general theory was that Americans are going to the Internet for information, and yet there is no way for individuals to know about the quality of information once they find a Web site," said center president and

co-author Peter Pitts in a telephone interview.

The research seems to verify their theory.

Google accounts for about 65 percent of all search activity, write investigators, and people rarely search past the first two pages of listings. For the study, investigators searched the first three pages (30 sites) of each topic. The topics included medical problems (diabetes, arthritis, high blood pressure); medical treatments; diet, nutrition and vitamins; exercise or fitness; over-the-counter and prescription drugs

(Avandia, Crestor and antidepressants).

"An analysis of search results revealed that online real estate was dominated by Web sites paid for and sponsored by either class-action law firms or legal marketing sites searching for plaintiff referrals," said

Pitts, a former associate commissioner at the Food and Drug Administration who helped shut down Web sites selling illegal drugs and supplements.

"Rather than provide unbiased information, their goal (of the sites) is to capture e-mail addresses and sucker you in ---- and to find people who want to sue drug companies."

Other sites were sponsored by groups or individuals selling alternative medications and supplements.

"With few exceptions, the online information was presented in a way that appeared to be legitimate, but had no medical authority," Pitts said. "It's so easy to mask who you are on the Internet."

Among the study's findings were these:

Of the first three pages of search results, 65 percent of the listed sites were biased or contained unverified information.

Nearly half of the first three pages belonged to litigators soliciting clients for class action lawsuits.

No official regulatory pages or professional medical organizations appeared in all of the results.

The report is tough on users, too, whom investigators call "Insta-Americans."

"Today we expect all (the) information to come fast and free," they write, "as 60 million Baby Boomers begin to reach the age where health care becomes a primary concern, they are going to want what they've always wanted, everything ---- and right away."

About 113 million Americans use the Internet to search for medical advice, says the report, and on any given day, about 8 million do so. According to the "Pew Internet & American Life 2006" survey, 70 percent of adult Americans have Internet access. Of those, 75 percent "only sometimes, hardly ever or never" check the source or date of online information.

"While a small amount of online information can serve as a helpful tool for patients to talk to their doctors," Pitts said, "users should know that the owners of Web sites could have ulterior motives."

Read the full report at http://www.cmpi.org. Scroll down to "Reports," then click on "Insta Americans."

Speaking of boomers: If you are one of the 78 million Americans born between 1946 and 1964, anyone who has anything to sell is trying to figure out how to sell it to you. Boomers are the subject of exhaustive polls and studies because there is a lot of money at stake for those who discover what they want.

One of those searching is the International Council on Active Aging, a trade association for those working in the retirement, assisted living, recreation, fitness, rehabilitation and wellness fields. Its CEO Colin Milner, has come up with a list of trends and preferences among active, aging boomers:

The Internet has become an entrenched source of information for social encounters, travel and health (90 percent seek health information online).

Retirement communities are reinventing themselves. Goodbye golf; hello gyms, hiking clubs and wine-tastings.

Maintaining intellectual skills and brain health is a priority.

Technology is inspiring activity. Witness oldsters wearing pedometers and playing imaginary sports (bowling, tennis) with the Nintendo Wii.

Boomers will continue to work into the retirement years, but mostly on their own terms.

Lifelong learning opportunities are popular. Boomers are returning to school or taking non-credit college courses.

Age-friendly fitness facilities are in demand.

Boomers want health insurance plans that pay for prevention. Here's hoping more programs like Silver Sneakers, a free fitness program available through Secure Horizons health plan and held at the Ecke Y in Encinitas and the Mottino Y in Oceanside, will be offered.

E'Louise Ondash of Vista is a registered nurse. Contact her at elo3@cox.net.