title: On-line communities: helping "senior surfers" find health information on the Web.
abstract: Currently, it is estimated that approximately 10 million older adults use Internet communities to gain information on any health issue. It is nearly impossible to police all of the sites available to make sure correct information is distributed. A short website review demonstrates factors that create an unsafe or safe health environment. The ability of a facilitator to properly manage an online community and the problems that may be encountered in this setting are issues that warrant attention. Discussion forums provide information through threaded discussion boards, and frequently the information is inaccurate. Research is needed to determine if on-line health communities are a bane or a boon to the elderly population.
authors.forename: Georgia A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Moore
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003197:Computer Literacy; D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction / Q000592:standards*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008490:Medical Informatics; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012449:Safety; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity