The (un)reliability of Medical Information Sites

The (un)reliability of Medical Information Sites

                “A Prescription for Fear”, an article written by Virginia Heffernan in the New York Times Sunday Magazine explains how WebMD is a potentially dangerous website to go to for checking out one’s own symptoms and argues that a new website called “Mayo Clinic Health” is a much more reliable and trustworthy self- diagnosis center. She explains that WebMD has ties with pharmaceutical companies and has information that will lead to people relying on drugs for their relief. WebMD has monopolized the medical website sector and in the process, have made over $500 million in 2010. Heffernan goes on to show the different search results you get in Mayo Clinic and WebMD. It’s surprising to see that when the word, “headache” is entered into the search engine; WebMD comes up with information about migraines, and pictures of people in pain, and the drug solution. A very frightening page, used to stress people out. However, Mayo Clinic’s site will give you “tension headache” and does not display photos or hype. Once you hit the 8^th page, that’s when Mayo tells you about over the counter analgesics.

                I think it’s terrible that there are so many prescription drugs in America today. There are drugs that are for sicknesses we’ve never even heard of, and that probably aren’t even needed. One of the things that has always amused me are drug advertisements that say, “ask your doctor about…” and I’m glad Heffernan mentioned that in this article. Your doctor is supposed to tell you what drugs to take, not vice versa. If you’re telling the doctor what drugs you want, your doctor is just a drug dealer. I won’t lie, I’ve used WebMD before to see what sickness I had. And the only thing I got from it was fear. The things it tells you are not realistic, they are meant as scare tactics so they can control you and push you towards a certain drug. This article was great, very informative, and Mayo’s clinic will be replacing WebMD on my “Bookmarks” page.


Article link here