Merck launches guide to help patients find health info online

Merck launches guide to help patients find health info online

A new Merck guide aims to help people find and evaluate reliable online sources of health information and is the latest in a series of similar tools for consumers. The free guide is available online at Merck's site www.YourHealthNow.com and teaches consumers how to evaluate online health information with tips such as confirming that the information is current and looking for information that's written by physicians. The guide also lists credible Web sites. Included on the list are www.MayoClinic.com, Merck's own www.MerckSource.com, and www.HealthSiteGuide, on which MerckSource is listed. WebMD, ranked the number-one online destination for health information in July with more than 8 million unique visitors, was not included on the list. Over the last couple of months, Merck has also launched a downloadable search engine that links to MerckSource.com and a free resource to help consumers effectively communicate with their physicians during office visits.