Obtaining

Medical

Information

From the

Internet

You should remember the following points:

	We make every effort to include links only to sites that appear to us to offer reputable advice. They are there to help you be in greater control  about your own health. But of course we have no control over other sites, and they may change after we last checked them. Exercise caution and use your common sense.
	If you come across one of our links that you think doesn't match our standards, then please let us know at comments@highfield-surgery.co.uk

	Remember anyone on the Internet can publish medical information, both of high quality or frankly dangerous. Doctors too may publish views that are unproven or would not be accepted by the majority of the profession. It can be hard to discern this from their sites. Some sites may have a hidden bias e.g. the author may be linked with a pharmaceutical company, without that being made clear. BEWARE!
	The way conditions are investigated and treated can vary in different countries. That is why most of our links are to UK sites.
	A useful guide to assessing a medical website is to be found at The QUICK Site (UK)
	You can check out more about the author of a site by searching in Medline to see if they have published in reputable medical journals.
	Remember the old advert saying "Would you buy a used car from this man?" If you are tempted to 'consult' someone on the Internet or to discuss your problems, you really cannot be confident who you are 'speaking' with. There are worries too about the safety of some of the advice services that are being developed.

THE INTERNET IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR A CONSULTATION