Debate: Are Medical Websites Healthful?
Does the internet add to patients' knowledge, or dangerously misinform them?

Claim: Medical websites are healthful
Reason: I turned to the internet when my husband was diagnosed with late stage aggressive prostate cancer 13 years ago.
Warrant 0: he died after taking their advice
Warrant 1: he lived after taking their advice
Correct warrant: 1

Claim: Medical websites are healthful
Reason: Doctors are arrogant if they think it's wrong to look up information.
Warrant 0: patients may use this information to misdiagnose themselves and seek the wrong kind of treatment
Warrant 1: patients can't use this information to misdiagnose themselves and seek the wrong kind of treatment
Correct warrant: 1

Claim: Medical websites are healthful
Reason: Medical sites are useful in the middle of the night when offices are closed.
Warrant 0: people use them to make informed decisions to not freak out and call the ambulance
Warrant 1: people use them then decide to not wait until the next day and call the ambulance
Correct warrant: 1

Claim: Medical websites are healthful
Reason: Medical websites help to keep doctors honest.
Warrant 0: doctors need to be honest at all times
Warrant 1: doctors need to be dishonest on occasion
Correct warrant: 0

Claim: Medical websites are healthful
Reason: It is very nice to have the information easily available.
Warrant 0: abundance of information helps self-diagnosis
Warrant 1: abundance of information makes self-diagnosis harder
Correct warrant: 0

Claim: Medical websites are healthful
Reason: It is good to be informed about your health.
Warrant 0: being informed doesn't mean to understand
Warrant 1: being informed means to understand
Correct warrant: 1

Claim: Medical websites are healthful
Reason: Onsite medical articles are helpful and can allow patients to ask their doctors better questions.
Warrant 0: better questions undermine the doctor-patient relationship
Warrant 1: better questions improve the doctor-patient relationship
Correct warrant: 1

Claim: Medical websites are healthful
Reason: Legitimate medical websites help distinguish between minor and serious conditions and tell when to seek a doctor.
Warrant 0: most medical websites aren't legitimate
Warrant 1: most medical websites are legitimate
Correct warrant: 1

Claim: Medical websites are healthful
Reason: It is good to be informed about your health.
Warrant 0: you are able to find information online
Warrant 1: you aren't able to be diagnosed online
Correct warrant: 1

Claim: Medical websites are healthful
Reason: By using information on the medical website, while conferring with my doctor I was able to get a more accurate diagnoses and alleviate personal fears.
Warrant 0: unlike most patients who abuse the sites, I am the exception
Warrant 1: like most patients who use the sites, I'm no exception
Correct warrant: 0

Claim: Medical websites are healthful
Reason: It is very nice to have the information easily available.
Warrant 0: a little information solves a lot of problems
Warrant 1: a little information causes a lot of problems
Correct warrant: 1