If search engines keep leading you down false trails, try using one of these directory sites. Covered in FPM Quiz Eric T. Rumsey W ith the explosion of medical and health information freely available on the Web, family physicians are feeling increasing pressure to find the most current literature and to direct their patients to reliable sources. Yet we all know that too much information can be overwhelming, especially for a busy physician, a patient facing a chronic condition or a family member dealing with a loved one's life-threatening disease. Unlike search engines that work automatically, directories are created and maintained by individuals who pre-select Web sites and assign them to specific directory categories, which users can browse through, much like a paper directory. Secondary sites , or directories, list primary sites categorized by subject.
Tertiary sites provide efficient access to the most useful secondary sites.
Several more comprehensive directories focused on medicine have been developed and are managed by librarians, medical informatics specialists and physicians. Because these individuals usually have a good nose for choosing sites with reliable information sources, the directories they've developed are especially valuable. Also among directory developers are those gleaning health information for themselves and others. Patients, especially those with chronic diseases and conditions, are increasingly taking an active role in their care. These well-informed consumers often develop a wide communication network and a deep knowledge of electronic information sources.