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Nowhere is medical knowledge more readily available than on the Internet. Every day brings new health-related sites offering free access to a seemingly infinite amount of information, including current details about ongoing clinical trials (www.PDtrials.org). If you don’t want to search the Web yourself, you can subscribe to free services, such as Google alerts (www.google.com/alerts) and RSS feeds, which will send you the very latest PD-related news throughout the day, from sources across the Web.
These “safe surfing” guidelines can help you get the most from the Internet:
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Be aware that all sites are not created equal. Anyone with a computer and Internet access can publish information in cyberspace. Rely on common sense and a healthy dose of skepticism to distinguish reliable from incomplete or inaccurate content.
- Frequent sites of trusted sources (e.g. major PD organizations, medical centers recognized for excellence in Parkinson’s research, patient advocacy groups, and government health agencies)
- Recognize that surfing even trusted Web sites is no substitute for obtaining your doctor’s medical diagnosis and advice based on a physical exam.
- Look for contact information.
- Use PD message boards to make virtual friends who lend an ear 24/7, sharing their experiences and providing support as needed. A word of caution: do not assume that your disease progression will be the same as someone else’s. Ours is a “designer” disease and no two people follow the exact same course.
- Make search engine queries as specific as possible to limit the number and increase the relevance of suggested sites. Be aware that paid advertisers rise to the top of the list.
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- Verify when the information was last updated and confirm it with at least two other respected, independent sites before you assume it’s true.
- Determine the site’s purpose (e.g. education, sales, etc.) and who funds it.
- Look for contact information.
- Don’t share personal information on line with people whom you do not know very well.
- And finally, be aware that any information you put on the web, no matter how well "protected" is at risk to be discovered and used by unscrupulous people.
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