JAMA sees conflicting Internet health info

A study reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association(May 23) indicates that while the health information appearing on Internet sites is generally accurate, it is usually incomplete and many users find it hard to understand.

Focusing on the basic elements of what consumers should know about breast cancer, childhood asthma, depression and obesity, the study found that, on average, 25% of these elements were not covered at all by 18 English-language sites and 53% were not covered by seven Spanish language sites.

Also, a childhood asthma web site reported in one place that using inhaled steroids does not stunt growth in children, and then reported elsewhere that it does.