Dearest:   What with 100 million Americans logging on last year alone seeking 
information and support for various medical conditions, to research symptoms, 
specific drugs, locate doctors, tonight's guests Howard and Judi Wolinsky 
conducted extensive research to help Web surfers locate the health information 
they’re looking for online in their new book, "Healthcare Online for Dummies". The 
book provides strategies for locating reliable sources while serving up more than 
1,400 health-related Web sites.

Welcome to Power Surge, Howard and Judi. It wouldn't surprise me if the question 
you're asked most is why you wrote this book, but also, out of literally millions 
of Web sites,  how many did you scrutinize and what standard did you employ in 
narrowing down your list to 1,400? 


Howard and Judi Wolinsky:   We looked at thousands of Websites. We applied the 
standard of commonsense. We avoided the wacky sites.

We looked for those that were reputable--such as those from MayoClinic and 
government sites.  The Internet Healthcare Coalition has a 10-point list of 
standards.  These include such things the site showing its sponsorship, that it's 
kept current, it presents its privacy guidelines, reveals its ownership. For more, 
go to www.ihealthcoalition.org.


Dearest:   Would it be accurate to say that a large majority of people are using 
the Internet as their primary source of health information and, if so, why? 


Howard and Judi Wolinsky:   To our knowledge that would not be the case. But 
they're using the Internet to obtain background information to discuss with their 
doctors. 


Dearest:   Do you think doctors resent their patients coming to their appointments 
armed with all this information they haven't received from their doctors? 


Howard and Judi Wolinsky:   Some doctors do resent patients who present them with 
a heap of printouts from the Internet.  But there are doctors who who will give 
you URLs and who will discuss the sites you tell them about. This might be 
something to consider in choosing a doctor.


Dearest:   It's been my experience with some doctors that they seem to feel the 
patient is TOO informed. Could we be getting too much health information because 
of the Internet? 


Howard and Judi Wolinsky:   We don't think there is such a thing as TOO MUCH 
INFORMATION. 


Cricket:   How do you know if a doctor online is legit?  I went on a chat room and 
got some bad advice.  


Howard and Judi Wolinsky:   It's hard to know who anybody is in cyberspace. The 
old joke is nobody knows if you're dog on the Internet.


Howard and Judi Wolinsky:   You can check out a doctor's credentials. We have a 
chapter in the book that tells you how to do so.  It's called Finding Dr. Right. 
woof. 


Dearest:   Thank you for including Power Surge in your book. Seeing as how most of 
us are familiar with Power Surge, it might be a good way of explaining what 
criteria/standard went into selecting a site such as Power Surge?

Howard and Judi Wolinsky:   We chose Power Surge because it is attractive, easy to 
navigate, credible and offers online support in a caring community. 


Dearest:   Thanks, Howard and Judi. 


PILJS:   From all your research is there any one medical site that is easily 
navigated and accurate?


Howard and Judi Wolinsky:   We a list of must-see sites.  Among these are 
MEDLINEplus.gov and healthfinder.gov and MayoClinic.com


Sandra:   How do you know when a doctor is recommended that they aren't paying for 
that service? 


Howard and Judi Wolinsky:   Could you explain what you mean? 


Sandra:   I mean there are doctors recommended and I wonder if they are because 
they pay for the service.


Howard and Judi Wolinsky:   It probably depends on the site. Some sites list 
physicians--without recommendations.  One would be www.ama-assn.org 
from the AMA.  You can find out where a doctor trained, went to med school, etc.  
In some cases, doctors MAY be paying to have their names in a listing. They do in 
the old-fashioned Yellow Pages.


Sandra:   ok. thank you.


Dearest:   What were some of the reasons an otherwise attractive, popular and 
seemingly informative site might have been excluded? 


Howard and Judi Wolinsky:   We only had 360 pages. So we couldn't cover everyone.  
We tried to cover a broad range of topics.   The book also has a 36-page Directory 
that lists many, many online support groups, calculators, travel health 
information, etc.  Again, we were limited by space. 


Dearest:   Do you think a site focusing on one subject is better than a portal 
that addresses many health issues and perhaps not as in depth as the former? 


Howard and Judi Wolinsky:   It depends on what people are looking for.  Someone 
may have a friend who has been diagnosed with an illness and they're wondering 
what it's about. They may need less depth than a person who has received that 
diagnosis themselves.  If you need lots of information, you may want to turn to a 
site focusing on a single issue.  In Healthcare Online for Dummies, we have 
chapters devoted to cancer, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, AIDS, etc. We --
throughout the book-- give readers great sites to check out as well as showing 
them how to do their own research.  We both give them a fish and teach them to 
fish. 


Dearest:   Thanks :) SLucca, go ahead.


SLucca:   I've been in numerous med sites (mediconsult, medicinenet, merck manual, 
mayo, etc.) and have seen many conflicting articles.  How does one differentiate; 
i.e., how does one know which is the accurate and correct information?


Howard and Judi Wolinsky:   That's a good point. That's why it is important to 
consult with your personal physicians.


Dearest:   From site to site, SLucca, or within one site?  


SLucca:   Usually from site to site and I've been in many believe me. 


Howard and Judi Wolinsky:   Realize that medicine is a contentious discipline, 
filled with points and counterpoints.  For every MD, there is an equal an opposite 
MD.  It's both a science and an art.


SLucca:   Good point, thanks, I guess we just have to "figure out" what's best for 
us, thanks again.


MaryO:   They already answered my question.  It was...What are some of the topics 
in your book - besides menopause? Do you list sites for specific diseases or 
medical specialties - or more general ones, like an encyclopedia? 

Could you give us some examples of other sites that are in your book (although 
none would compare to Power Surge!!)


Howard and Judi Wolinsky:   In addition to sites on diseases, we have chapters on 
choosing a doctor, a hospital, an insurance plan, finding out about medications, 
how to research a disease. We have chapters on men's health, women's health, kid's 
health and seniors' health.

We offer a Virtual Health Fair where you can visit sites that will  you assess 
your risk for heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis,  depression, and stress. 


Dearest:   Do you believe that all the advertising on many Web sites -- many 
inundated with banners -- impact on the credibility of the site?


Howard and Judi Wolinsky:   Again, it depends on the site and it depends on the 
ads and how clearly they are labeled as ads.  Some sites do not make it clear 
what's ads and what's content.  Always maintain a high level of skepticism when a 
site is loaded with ads.   On the other hand, ads do help pay the bills at some 
good sites. 


MaryO:   Is there an accompanying CD-Rom so we could just click on the URL?  
Sometimes, my fingers can't translate well what I've read :( 


Howard and Judi Wolinsky:   No, we decided against a CD-ROM because it boosted the 
price of the book.  If you'd like a sample of some good basic sites, visit 
www.HealthcareOnlineForDummies.com: That'll save your fingers.


Dearest:   How many sites did you review en toto and how long did it take before 
you came up with the list of 1,400?  (en toto has nothing to do with the land of 
Oz)


Howard and Judi Wolinsky:   OK, Dorothy. We're not in Kansas anymore. We ended up 
with 1,400 sites, but don't have an exact count on how many didn't make the cut. 
But we probably saw some 4,000 or more.


Dearest:   LOL!
Wow... and how long did it take to compile all this information? GA


Howard and Judi Wolinsky:   We spent three months writing the book. But we have 
been honing our researching skills for years as a medical/technology reporter 
(Howard) and reference librarian (Judi). 


Dearest:   Did you and Judi focus on different sites. For example, did Judi take 
the women's health sites and you the general health sites? Or, did you work 
together on every site? 


Howard and Judi Wolinsky:   Some we worked on together. Some researched by 
ourselves. We did all the writing together. 


Dearest:   Is Healthcare Online for Dummies in the bookstores yet? 


Howard and Judi Wolinsky:   Good question!  Just got called by a friend who 
purchased one from www.bn.com and received it in the mail.  We're told it will be in 
the bookstores by the end of next week.  We'd love to get reports from any of you 
who spot it around the country.


Dearest:   Good.. can't wait to see/read it.


Howard and Judi Wolinsky:   Let us know--we're at wolinsky@ameritech.net.


Froggy4:   Did I read right, that you also have a section on medications, such as 
finding info on the uses of and side effects of medicines we might take?  I'm 
concerned about conflicting info on side effects. 


Howard and Judi Wolinsky:   There is a chapter on researching medications.


Froggy4:   Thank you!


Howard and Judi Wolinsky:   Again, our advice is to ask your physician or 
pharmacist. 


Dearest:   I just thought of another question -- did you utilize the expertise of 
any doctors or pharmacists in writing the book? 


Howard and Judi Wolinsky:   Yes. All our work was reviewed by a physician. 


Dearest:   My final question is... what are your thoughts about "Dummies" in the 
title? I know how popular the "Dummies" books are :) 


Howard and Judi Wolinsky:   As we say in the Introduction to Healthcare Online For 
Dummies:  "As a health consumer, we know you're not a dummy.  But the healthcare 
system can leave you feeling as though you landed a starring role in the movie, 
Dumb and Dumber."


Dearest:   Ahh.. excellent. Thanks. Mary, your question, please.


MaryO:   With all your knowledge you gained from doing this, if you were starting 
a health site from scratch, what would you include as valuable features and what 
do you think are a waste of time? 


Howard and Judi Wolinsky:   That's a big question. We like sites that take 
advantage of what the Web has to offer, such as medical encyclopedias with 
beautiful, clear illustrations and hyperlinked text, online calculators that help 
you figure stuff out, and of course online chats and support that people connect 
who otherwise wouldn't. 


MaryO:   Thanks so much 


Dearest:   Thanks, Howard and Judi. 


Froggy4:   Is there a form of "etiquette" that is still developing (like net 
etiquette) in approaching your doctor with info, such as not including too many 
pages of opinions from the net?  I know doctors are "learning" to deal with 
knowledgeable people.  


Dearest:   I love that last line, Froggy :)


Froggy4:   :)


Howard and Judi Wolinsky:   Like the rest of the population, some doctors are 
wired and will communicate with you via e-mail.  You have to find the doctor who 
meets your needs. All good doctors are teachers, but some are better than others.  
Find a doctor who doesn't treat you like a Dummy. 


Dearest:   If you had to suggest 3 recommendations for people seeking health 
information online, what would they be? 


Howard and Judi Wolinsky:   If you don't know where to start, go to 
MEDLINEplus.gov or healthfinder.gov. That's one.

If you need help evaluating a site, go to a site such as www.hon.ch, the HonCode.  
Look for sites with the HonCode seal.


Dearest:   (and 3 - read your book!)


Howard and Judi Wolinsky:   Good point...Buy Healthcare Online For Dummies.


Dearest:   Howard and Judi, thanks so much for visiting with us tonight to help us 
determine the best ways to find honest and accurate health information online. I 
highly recommend HOWARD AND JUDI WOLINSKY'S excellent resource book, 
"Healthcare Online for Dummies".  You can visit Howard and Judi's Web sites at: 
http://www.healthcareonlinefordummies.com and http://www.wolinskyweb.net. 



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Dearest
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Power Surge
Founder, Facilitator, Host


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