Few health professionals took part in this public forum. One of our projects presently underway includes an effort to provide greater oversight and moderation of our internal Internet discussion groups by health care professionals. It was interesting that many of our users felt that much of the information that they read was inaccurate. However, few believe that it had any adverse effect on them. This is similar to user behavior on the Web in general.
Most people are confident that they can separate the good advice from the bad.
However, we are unaware of any systematic efforts to assess the accuracy of this belief. Many users stated that they were not satisfied with the amount of information that their providers gave them. Clearly, our sample is biased since we are only sampling individuals who are on the Internet, looking for more information. Still, it is equally clear that at least a portion of patients want more information and will seek it in alternative places if not supplied by their physician or nurse. Another major function of the Epilepsy forum is to promote the sharing of experiences.