Website of the Week

WebMD
http://www.WebMD.com

Reviewed by Ann Willard, SWC Library Faculty

The focus of this review is on WebMD.com, my first stop on the Internet when seeking information about health, disease prevention, and medical treatment options. WebMD’s staff includes business and health professionals and is continually reviewed by the doctors at MedicineNet.com for accuracy and timeliness. WebMD does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Where to begin? The site is rich in content and in ways to access its information, including videos, slide shows, and a mobile edition for your cell phone. I often check it when I want to learn about a new prescription drug or about a medical condition. After giving information on drugs similar to what you would find in the Physician’s Desk Reference, there are patient reviews of the drug, relating their experiences while on it. Sometimes these reviews by people on the drug are extremely revealing, highlighting possible side effects you too may have experienced. The articles about diseases and medical conditions are written in a uniform way, starting with an overview and concluding with treatment options and further resources for help. WebMD also includes a drawing of a human figure on which you can point to the part of your body which hurts and pick a list of symptoms in order to begin diagnosing your own ailment! The symptom checker provides information useful for beginning that dialog with your physician on your medical concerns. And you can sign up for newsletters to be kept up-to-date on the latest health information on particular medical conditions.

New (to me) on WebMD is a section on pet health. You can now check on what may be ailing your cat or dog, and how to keep your pets healthy. There is a special section on parenting which includes information on topics like vaccinating your children. You can also check your current BMI (Body Mass Index) and find lots of information on dieting, nutrition and exercise. Teen health has a special section.

All-in-all, it would be difficult to find a more informative, entertaining, yet authoritative site for medical information than WebMD.com. I highly recommend it!

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