Trust on the health Internet

Trust and ethics have become common themes when discussing health on the Internet. By all accounts, trust is the key issue in the consumer's mind when considering whether or not to use a medical Web site. The user has two basic questions: Can I trust this information to be unbiased? Can I trust this site to protect my privacy? Without that trust, people are highly reluctant to become serious users of a health Web site, presenting a problem for managed care organizations whose public image already suffers from a lack of public trust. Health plans can re-earn that trust by providing evidence-based Information Therapy programs that prescribe to their members the information they need to make decisions and avoid medical mistakes.