Are Online Healthcare Consumers Empowered Or Imperiled?

  • by: |
  • 01/08/2008
You can be the judge and become a better consumer of online health care information after reading our report. Much of what passes for "information" is propaganda placed by trial attorneys, so-called public interest groups and alternative health sites to steer people away from taking certain drugs, making them feel they should sue if they did take them or replace them with things that are expensive because they are natural. In specific cases, which we provide, the information on the Web has contributed to a decline in public health and death.

The Web has become an organizing tool for those seeking to politicize science. Ironically, for all the concern about DTC the biggest and most dangerous source of disinformation is often provided by organizations that are the biggest critics of drug ads. When, for example, will Public Citizen and Consumers Reports do the responsible thing and take down all the inaccurate links to their sites about statins and liver damage? When will these organizations stop associating with the same trial attorneys that front load the Web with sites that scare people about the risks of drugs relative to their benefits?

Misinformation and disinformation regarding health issues could be a huge public health problem in the years ahead. We hope this study gives people an insight into how big and a common sense way of how to solve it: consider the source and consult your doctor before taking action.
CMPI

Center for Medicine in the Public Interest is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization promoting innovative solutions that advance medical progress, reduce health disparities, extend life and make health care more affordable, preventive and patient-centered. CMPI also provides the public, policymakers and the media a reliable source of independent scientific analysis on issues ranging from personalized medicine, food and drug safety, health care reform and comparative effectiveness.

Blog Roll

Alliance for Patient Access Alternative Health Practice
AHRP
Better Health
BigGovHealth
Biotech Blog
BrandweekNRX
CA Medicine man
Cafe Pharma
Campaign for Modern Medicines
Carlat Psychiatry Blog
Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry: A Closer Look
Conservative's Forum
Club For Growth
CNEhealth.org
Diabetes Mine
Disruptive Women
Doctors For Patient Care
Dr. Gov
Drug Channels
DTC Perspectives
eDrugSearch
Envisioning 2.0
EyeOnFDA
FDA Law Blog
Fierce Pharma
fightingdiseases.org
Fresh Air Fund
Furious Seasons
Gooznews
Gel Health News
Hands Off My Health
Health Business Blog
Health Care BS
Health Care for All
Healthy Skepticism
Hooked: Ethics, Medicine, and Pharma
Hugh Hewitt
IgniteBlog
In the Pipeline
In Vivo
Instapundit
Internet Drug News
Jaz'd Healthcare
Jaz'd Pharmaceutical Industry
Jim Edwards' NRx
Kaus Files
KevinMD
Laffer Health Care Report
Little Green Footballs
Med Buzz
Media Research Center
Medrants
More than Medicine
National Review
Neuroethics & Law
Newsbusters
Nurses For Reform
Nurses For Reform Blog
Opinion Journal
Orange Book
PAL
Peter Rost
Pharm Aid
Pharma Blog Review
Pharma Blogsphere
Pharma Marketing Blog
Pharmablogger
Pharmacology Corner
Pharmagossip
Pharmamotion
Pharmalot
Pharmaceutical Business Review
Piper Report
Polipundit
Powerline
Prescription for a Cure
Public Plan Facts
Quackwatch
Real Clear Politics
Remedyhealthcare
Shark Report
Shearlings Got Plowed
StateHouseCall.org
Taking Back America
Terra Sigillata
The Cycle
The Catalyst
The Lonely Conservative
TortsProf
Town Hall
Washington Monthly
World of DTC Marketing
WSJ Health Blog