|
Stories for Reprint
Health Websites:
Use with Caution
By Erin Willis, MARRTC Staff
Coping with a commonly misunderstood disease like fibromyalgia can often be difficult so many people turn to the Internet for information and support. A recent study from Rush Medical Center in Chicago was designed to find out more about who is relying on the Internet for fibromyalgia information and support.
"We wanted to know if Internet users were representative of patients seen in clinics," explains Robert Katz, a rheumatologist at Rush University and the principal investigator of this study. "We asked, 'Who are these people? How do they compare to other groups?'"
When compared to people seen in Katz's clinic, online users with fibromyalgia tended to be younger, more educated, and less likely to be married. The two groups had little difference in household income, averaging more than $45,000 annually.
Additionally, online users tended to have a higher percentage of body fat and more physical limitations than people seen in the clinic.
The online group reported visiting the emergency room more often, but they did not have more doctor visits, medication costs, or overall direct medical costs compared to those with fibromyalgia seen in Katz's clinic.
The results indicated that these two groups were only "slightly" different. Researchers found that the online group differed from those with fibromyalgia seen in Katz's clinics. The Internet users had more disease symptoms, depression, and psychiatric illness.
Katz understands the desire for more information about fibromyalgia and the effect the disease has on the body, but he says people have to be cautious. "My suggestion for people with fibromyaglia is to only go to websites where there is reliable information," suggests Katz. "Find a reputable organization to provide you with information, but also visit a doctor."
Katz says that people with fibromyalgia should turn to their doctors not only for care but also for information on the condition or advice about locating reliable Internet resources.
To learn more about fibromyalgia, visit the National Fibromyalgia Association's Web site at www.FMaware.org.
|
|
