The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 269 No 7206 p72
13 July 2002

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Health information on the internet

'The patient's internet handbook', by Robert Kiley and Elizabeth Graham. Pp xiv+302. Price £9.95. London: The Royal Society of Medicine Press Ltd; 2001. ISBN 1 85315 498 9

Locating high quality and relevant health information on the internet is not a trivial matter, even for the experienced internet user (it is estimated that there are over seven million websites on the internet). This well researched book is a guide to locating and evaluating health information on the internet, and also provides a directory of resources for many common conditions. The authors aim to encourage patients to become informed about their health, supporting the philosophy of patient empowerment and self-accreditation of health information, in partnership with health care professionals.

The book comprises 13 chapters, presented in five sections. The first section includes an overview of the book and a beginners guide to the internet. Although this is aimed at new users, experienced users will find useful tips on security and filtering. It provides information on how to connect to the internet and guidance on how to use e-mail and a web browser.

The second section gives general advice on searching for health information on the internet using tools such as search engines, web directories and evaluated subject gateways. Access to various medical databases such as Medline and the Cochrane Database is discussed. Discussion lists and newsgroups are also considered as forums for exchanging information with people having common interests. Although use of discussion forums is encouraged, emphasis is placed on the caution required when using these resources.

The third section considers the range of information health consumers can obtain via the internet. The extensive range of information provided by the National Health Service is discussed, including performance data and tools for locating health professionals. Key drug information, and complementary and alternative medicine resources are considered. Advice on the use of online pharmacies is also provided. The final chapter of this section considers resources pertaining to pregnancy, childbirth and infant care.

The fourth section of the book discusses the quality of health information on the internet and encourages a healthy scepticism. Advice is given on how to avoid dubious websites and guidelines are provided on how to evaluate medical information. Patients are also advised how they should use information they have obtained from the internet in consultation with their health professional. The final chapter in the section considers future roles of the internet in the delivery of health care.

The fifth section is a directory of internet resources for 100 medical conditions. The section is a useful reference source and many readers will use it simply to locate information resources on specific conditions. The links are predominantly for United Kingdom-based sites, however there are many excellent non-UK sites and perhaps a separate section for these sites could be included in a future edition.

The book has an accompanying website (www.patient-handbook.co.uk) that contains corrections and updates (certain information is already out of date, however this is inevitable given the rate at which the internet is developing). The website also offers the opportunity for subscribers to receive monthly bulletins on useful sites and reports. The bulletins are particularly useful for health professionals. The book would have benefited from greater use of the accompanying website, in particular, the availability to subscribers of an up-to-date version of Section 5 (links to sources of information).

The book is well written and a valuable resource for both patients and health professionals. Patients are increasingly challenging pharmacists with information they have found on the internet. This is an essential reference source for pharmacists. It will assist in both the location of reliable sources of health information, and also in educating and assisting patients to evaluate health information on the internet.

Antony D'Emanuele