Alternative Therapy Websites: Fact or Fiction?
             Much information concerning alternative medicine is readily available on the internet for anyone who may be interested, however, the question remains whether or not this abundance of information is reliable and accurate or pure quackery. The websites being evaluated in this article are http://altmed.od.nig.gov and www.alternativemedicine.com. The differences between these two websites are a perfect illustration that one must be cautious and critical of all information obtained via the internet.
             The National Institute of Health's website, http://altmed.od.nig.gov, is a good example of a reliable and well-informed source of knowledge. The website clearly denotes contact and sponsorship information on their homepage. It is extremely clear where one would call, email or write if there were questions, problems or concerns. Moreover, it clearly states that one should not use the information obtained by this website to seek therapy or treatment without talking to a doctor or health care provider. It also defines what NCCAM (National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine) is, what they do and who with whom they are affiliated. Additionally, by clicking on a topic one can easily obtain very specific and well-credentialed background of the director of the program.
             The entire website is detail oriented, factual and well documented. It is up-to-date as the website says that it was "last modified 8/24/01." The NCCAM website was also extremely user friendly (good graphics, well divided subject headings) and easy to maneuver. Overall, this website was an excellent source of information for students, researchers or anyone interested in information on alternative medicine.
             In contrast to the NCCAM website was www.alternativemedicine.com, "The Voice of Health." I found this website rather amusing as it was very obvious that information was not at ...