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Dear Browser:

We want to work with you to help you maintain the best of health. Many people these days are taking the initiative to learn more about responsible self-care for themselves and family members. If you're doing so, we commend you and offer our website to support your efforts.

Some books, articles, and online information services are reliable, but many are not. You need to distinguish what is helpful from what is harmful. It's important to be aware that many of the online health services were created by companies whose main goal is to make money. Don't be duped by something that serves as an advertisement, even if it doesn't look like the ads on television.

Next time you log on your favorite health care Web site, look for the sponsor and the advertisers. Then consider whether the information is in your best interest, or whether it's designed to sell you something. If you'd like, our site can point you to sites where all of the health care information is reviewed by competent medical professionals.

We suggest you use the following five criteria to evaluate these sites you visit. They were developed by George D. Lundberg, MD, former editor of The Journal of the American Medical Association, and health journalist William M. Silberg. Consider any online information unreliable unless you can answer these questions:

1. Who wrote what you're reading? The site should contain the name of a real person.
2. Where does that person work? A University? A Web business? A product manufacturer? Can you easily find that information on the site?
3. Was the information created for the site? If not, is there clear attribution showing where the information originated?
4. Who owns the site, and who pays for it? The source of money and ownership should be clearly identified.
5. Can you tell when the article itself was posted, whether it has been updated, and when?

If you can't answer these questions easily, there's no guarantee that the information is accurate and unbiased. If you have any questions about anything you find on the Net, we would be happy to discuss them with you at your next visit.

Since so much information is available today, we may not know any more than you on any given medical subject the first time you raise it. However, we make a commitment to you to use our resources to get you responsible answers, in a timely fashion.

Sincerely,
The Physicians & Staff of Victoria Urological Associates

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