The Internet has vast amounts of medical resources—more than you may have ever imagined—and it could be time to start taking advantage of all that’s out there.
Here’s a guide to some of the many topics and services you can find online.
General Information
A great place to start your Web health search would be the Internet-based specialist medical resource companies such as Healthline, RevolutionHealth, and WebMD, which cover everything from symptoms of an illness to pregnancy advice, pill checking, and so much more.
Personal Health Records
Personal health record suppliers are also taking steps to become more accessible. Bio-Imaging Technology subsidiary CapMed is working with Microsoft HealthVault and MyMedicalRecords is working with Google Health to expand the field.
Insurers
Health-insurance companies such as Humana and United Health are investing large amounts of time and money in Web sites. They include the basics such as maintaining health records in a database available online, offering easy access to required forms, and listing doctors who offer services under your health plan.
Aetna takes a step further for some of its clients who can not only link to claims handling but also, through RelayHealth, make appointments with their doctor or even experience online consulting, prescription processing, and see their own personal health records.
Media Companies
Don’t imagine that the media is ignoring health. In fact, the mainstream media outlets such as CNN have dedicated areas of their Web sites specifically to health. They are able to invest in having media doctors, panelists, and guest writers providing insights for our apparently insatiable appetite.
The traditional media, newspapers such as the New York Times and USA Today, owned by media giant Gannett, are well aware of the interests of their readers and cater to them online. Some of these sites require registration for full access but can be incredibly deep in their content and offer something different to their audiences.
What about your favorite magazines? Naturally they cater for your health and medical interests online as well as in print. Just look at the choices available, from Good Housekeeping to Self, lifestyle magazines that include dietary advice such as Health or Shape and even foodie magazines such as Gourmet offering healthy options.
