Mouse calls

Mouse calls: "'Over the past decade, Americans have learned to rely on the Internet to become their own travel agents, stockbrokers and retirement planners,' said Donald W. Kemper, founder and CEO of Healthwise, a nonprofit that helps patients make better health decisions. 'Americans are ready to take more control over their health through the resources available on the Internet today,' he said.

More than 160 million Americans look for a doctor via the Internet and search for health information online, according to a current Harris Poll.

But a search using Google, for example, would turn up millions of hits on a subject as broad as cancer or diabetes. So smart consumers start their searches on health Web sites where information has already passed the test for being credible, reliable and current.

When you surf on your own, beware. The Consumer and Patient Health Information Section of the Medical Library Association evaluates Web sites. They recommend you rely only on sites sponsored by a well-known organization (.org) or medical center (.edu) or government (.gov) agency. Always check the bottom of the page to confirm that the information has been updated within the last year or two."