Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How is Medconsumer.info different from government medical information sites such as the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)?

A. Medconsumer.info is not restrained by government regulations that prevents the HHS Web sites connecting patients with each other.  The HHS Web sites are not allowed by regulation to link to commercial or not for profit Web sites (with few exceptions).  Medconsumer.info provides links to patient groups, not for profit organizations, and commercial Web sites. 

Q. How is Medconsumer.info different from commercial medical information Web sites like Web MD?  

A.  Commercial Web sites do not often link away from their sites to other commercial Web sites.  Medconsumer.info links to any Web site, discussion group, or list serve that may offer patients information.  Medconsumer.info does not consider its self the end of Web searches.  Instead Medconsumer.info considers its self the beginning of the search for medical information. 

Q. Why are some of the topics incomplete?

A. Medconsumer.info is constantly growing.  New topics and pages are added nearly every day.  New content is added to existing pages nearly every day.  Rather than wait until for all of the available information to be added to a page before publishing it, content is published as it is researched.  This provides patients with at least some resources to immediately research.

Q. Why isn't Wikipedia listed as a resource on MedConsumer.info.

A. We don't believe that Wikipedia is a reliable source of information on any topic.  The concept of how Wikipedia is implemented is deeply flawed.  Supposedly the information is user generated, but in fact, the information presented is the work of editor gatekeepers who often lack academic credentials or any other experience to suggest that they are experts.  The quality of information presented by Wikipedia varies greatly by subject.  Our goal is to point you to the most reliable information available.  Wikipedia does not meet that standard.  Before you use Wikipedia in your search for medical information please visit the following sites:

• The Great Failure of Wikipedia. 
• Wikipedia: A Techno-Cult of Ignorance.
• "Wikipedia founder admits to serious quality problems"  From the Register.
• Wikipedia Watch. 

Q. Will you answer medical questions by email?

A. No.  No one representing Medconsumer.info is authorized to respond in any way to any medically-related questions of any kind.  We do not provide medical advice.  What we do provide is links to other sites that provide medical information and advice. 

Q.  Do you answer medical questions by phone?

A.  Never.  Telephone calls requesting medical information will be referred back to the Web site and to the hundreds of online discussions where almost any medical question can be discussed.  We also never chat or indulge in casual conversations about medical information through our phone line.  The telephone number provided is for those who wish to advertise on MedConsumer.info. 

Q.  How can I have Medconsumer.info's description of my organization changed? 

A. Fill out the request a link form.  Unless your organization is a government organization that does not permit links to non-governmental organizations a link back to MedConsumer.info or link subscription will be required as part of the link request. 

Q.  How come you link to some organizations that do not provide links to Medconsumer.info?

A.  To fill Medconsumer.info with useful information, many organizations were added without requesting  reciprocal links.  Eventually all organizations listed on Medconsumer.info will receive a request for a link to to Medconsumer.info.  Organizations that cannot provide a reciprocal link will be offered the opportunity to advertise on MedConsumer.info.  Those organizations that do not provide reciprocal links or advertise will be dropped from Medconsumer.info.  The only exception is for government agencies who are not allowed by government policy to link to commercial Web sites. 

Q.  How do I select an online forum/discussion to join?

A.  Carefully read the descriptions of the online discussions and select those that most clearly address your medical issue.  Do not join a group where membership is not required.  These groups are filled with spam and are usually not moderated.  Join a moderated group and read through the past messages to see if they are really discussion the topic that is important to you.  If they are not, ask your question.  If you get a good encouraging answer, you have found the right group for you.  If not, try another group.  If none of the groups will address medical issues important to you, start your own group. 

Q.  I would like to revise the description associated with my link.  How do I do that?

A.  Go the Request Link page and fill out the form and included the revised description.