And it has. The wealth of information on the Internet is helping patients become more informed about their health so they can play a more active role in maintaining their health. But while there's a lot of good health information on the Internet, there's a lot of misinformation out there, as well. When you're researching health information on the Internet, look at the credentials of the source. One quick way to judge is the three-letter extension that comes after the dot in an Internet address.
Extra information is good for patients, as long as it's the right information.
The hard part is deciding what's right. But be careful. The information on these student sites may not be controlled by the university. The dot-com sites are more difficult to figure out. Some are quite valid and full of good consumer health advice.