Quality of Medical Information on the Internet

To the Editor.

—The Editorial¹on the quality of medical information on the Internet raises many valid points. As someone who has both reflex sympathetic dystrophy and systemic lupus erythematosus, I am concerned about the quality of information that I gather about my illnesses. I also run a Web site and listserv mailing list for people with reflex sympathetic dystrophy, so I have a vested interest in how information is presented on the Internet. Clearly, medical pages on the Internet are a mixed bag. Some sites are excellent and others are just plain scary; nonetheless all are equally accessible online. The problem, however, is not only with the quality of information on the Internet, but with the quality of information that many patients receive from their physicians. While many clinicians do an excellent job of providing information to their chronically ill patients, many of them do not. Until physicians take the time