The Internet may be hailed as a massive source of information but can it all be trusted?

For example, a study published in the British Medical Journal says only four of 41 Internet pages examined gave correct advice on how to treat a child with fever.

It concluded that "there is an urgent need to check public oriented healthcare information on the internet for accuracy, completeness, and consistency."

"The Internet provides an example of how a little knowledge is a dangerous thing," said Peter Chambers of the charity CancerBACUP. Some sites on the Internet recommend the use of hydrazine sulfate to treat cancer, for example, which BACUP maintains is ineffective.

He claims that some patients stopped taking their anti-nausea and and pain relieve drugs when they conflicted with the hydrazine.

A GP in Leeds, Dr David Pearce, has similar concerns. "Anybody can put information on the Internet about diseases. The false hope this can bring to patients, particularly those who are suffering from chronic illnesses and are very vulnerable, is terrible."

The Journal of the American Medical Association has also expressed its concern. In an editorial in April last year it wrote: "The Internet too often resembles a cocktail conversation rather than a tool for effective health care communication and decision making."

Nonetheless, the JAMA recognises that the Internet can provide some benefits and not just in giving access to traditional information sources like libraries and government agencies.

"Medically oriented communities of interest - both professional and nonprofessional - thrive in the digital world. There is much to be gleaned and likely gained from these sources."

The Geneva-based Health on the Net Foundation has established an eight-point code of practice for sites to follow in an attempt to improve consumer confidence.

These include a guarantee that all medical advice should come from qualified professionals unless otherwise stated and that the sources of funding for any medical site should be clear.
 

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