For consumers who want to learn more about health care, a seemingly endless supply of Web sites offer information on everything from allergies to zinc supplements. That information can be helpful or worthless, perhaps even dangerous. To make sure you're not misled into an unwise health care decision, talk to your physician about the health information you glean from the Web. This health information site is a service of the National Library of Medicine. Included are facts about drugs, diseases and various medical conditions.
Directories feature the locations and credentials of doctors, dentists and hospitals.
Every weekday morning, the site's home page is updated with health-related articles from The Associated Press, the New York Times Syndicate, Reuters and United Press International. Recent health news on the site included an article about blood markers associated with autism and mental retardation. The site includes a medical encyclopedia. The site's consumer section includes facts about HMOs and Medicare. There is an electronic complaint form for Missouri residents and those with Missouri insurance policies.