As an increasing number of consumers turn to the Internet for health information, new health care Web sites are emerging and other sites are expanding to meet the demand, the Wall Street Journal reports.
According to comScore, an online-marketing research firm, 72 million people visited health Web sites last year, up 14% from 2007.
While many health Web sites are advancing their offerings, privacy remains a concern as users enter personal data to receive customized alerts and health messages.
The Journal highlighted several new or expanded health Web sites.
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Consumermedsafety.org, sponsored by the not-for-profit Institute for Safe Medication Practices, provides consumers with medication safety tools.
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EverydayHealth.com, which recently merged with Revolution Health, links 24 stand-alone health sites that cater to a variety of health interests.
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Google Health and Microsoft HealthVault offer a variety of health management tools, including personal health records.
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HazMap is a federal database that provides information about exposure to chemicals and biologic substances. The site recently added 180 new chemical profiles and now includes more than 2,000 chemical agents and 225 occupational diseases.
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HealthCentral.com is a network of sites covering various health conditions, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and diabetes.
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WhyNotTheBest.org is a new Web site from the Commonwealth Fund that compares the care at 4,500 U.S. hospitals, using data from Medicare's Hospital Compare Web site and the federal government's Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Survey (Landro, Wall Street Journal, 1/7).