[Cardiology online: impact and pitfalls of Internet medical news]

Twenty years ago, the main sources for physicians seeking information on new procedures, drugs, or devices were meetings and medical journals. The dawn of the Internet radically transformed how news and information is delivered and absorbed, beginning with the launch of online journals back in the mid-1990s. A decade and a half later, physicians can learn about new innovations the moment they are made public, and they can get that news from their phones and tablets, their Twitter or Facebook accounts, or via their favorite blog or medical news web site. Along with the clear advantages of accessing new medical information any time of day comes the need for physicians to be aware of the pitfalls of online medical content and to have a heightened sense of responsibility when it comes to integrating information gleaned online into their medical practices.