Nominees for Health-Related Webby Awards Are Worth a Visit

The Webby Awards may never generate the same attention as the Academy Awards, but for this Web site reviewer, they merit mention as a way of keeping you abreast of what’s hot in health care. The awards, now in their third year, are presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, which recently announced its nominees in 23 categories.

The health Web site nominees, all of which seem worthy of a separate column, are InteliHealth (https://www.intelihealth.com); Mayo Clinic’s Health Oasis (https://www.mayohealth.org); MediConsult (https://www.mediconsult.com); OnHealth.com (https://www.onhealth.com), and Thrive Online (https://www.thriveonline.com).

InteliHealth, OnHealth and Mayo Health Oasis all have excellent features, overseen by doctors, that provide you with cutting-edge health news, information on important conditions such as cancer and heart disease, in-depth features on selected topics, and links to related sites. InteliHealth and Mayo Health Oasis are institutional sites--from Johns Hopkins University Hospital and Health System, and the Mayo Clinic, respectively. Each site has some unique features, so I’ll alert you to a few:

InteliHealth has great links to health resources, including the American Medical Assn.’s physician locater, medical journal databases and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s database of food nutrition facts. And its information on medical conditions is exceptional--a comprehensive and consumer-friendly listing of hundreds of conditions, from “abscessed tooth” to “yersiniosis” (an uncommon intestinal infection).

The site also makes it easy to join discussion groups on various health topics. Like Mayo Health Oasis, it offers a free online newsletter written by doctors. In InteliHealth’s “Condition Center,” you’ll find a comprehensive pharmaceutical database and access to medical experts, where you can read archived Q&As; or submit your own question. The site also offers visitors access to the InteliHealth Professional Network, a site geared toward health professionals but accessible to consumers so you can read what your doctor is reading.

The renowned Mayo Clinic’s site lives up to the institution’s reputation. The site is pleasant to view and easy to navigate. The condition centers highlight various topics, such as cancer, Alzheimer’s and heart disease. The “Ask Mayo” section allows you to e-mail a question directly to Mayo physicians.

While the physicians can’t answer most of the questions they receive, they do select some based on broad public appeal and educational value and post answers on the Web site. An extensive archive of past questions can be searched by topic. But be advised, this service is not a substitute for direct medical care or consultation with your health care provider. In fact, the site specifically notes that its staff “cannot respond to questions about individual medical cases, provide second opinions or make specific recommendations regarding therapy.”

You can also take a quiz to test your knowledge or tap into the library of references and links to other sites. Advertising on the site is prevalent, but as we all become more sophisticated Web users, the influence of online ads will be no different from that of print ads in magazines or newspapers.

OnHealth has many features similar to those of the other sites (pharmacy and A-to-Z condition databases), but I especially like its medical news elements. The site includes several in-depth reports, updated weekly, and a daily news feature. “Today’s Daily Briefing” offers summaries of new medical stories and links to related material. I like the news briefs because they capture the most consumer-relevant parts of the day’s medical news and give it to me in an easy-to-read and understandable format.

“Jeanne’s Diary” is a special report written by Jeanne Sather, an OnHealth writer who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. The single mother of two told the OnHealth editors that she wanted to share her experience because “people believe cancer is a death sentence. And it’s not.” The diary entries to date include the personal and touching “Telling the Kids.”

OnHealth is also unique because of its journalistic feel and magazine-like layout. You almost feel like you’re leafing through your favorite magazine. This site, according to its editor, is especially geared toward 30- to 50-year-old women, who often serve as the health information gatherers and caretakers for their aging parents as well as their own spouses and children.

Think of MediConsult as its name suggests--medical consultation. If you’re looking for detailed information and support on more than 50 medical topics (brain tumors, arthritis, contraception and sexually transmitted diseases, to name a few), MediConsult is a terrific resource. For each of the conditions, MediConsult provides symptom and treatment information, news from medical journals, information on clinical trials and links to other resources.

Highlights of the site include professionally moderated online support groups, live events with leading specialists and private online consultation through its MediXperts program. (Take note: There’s a $195 fee for this service. It’s a twist on the “ask the expert” function, with a response tailored to you. But as always, be advised that this is not a substitute for the advice of a direct consultation. It’s best to think of it as a complement to your current course of treatment.)

ThriveOnline is the most unique in this group, not to mention the most fun, and clearly caters to a different audience than the other sites. Its main subject areas are diet, sports, medicine, fitness and passion. Its focus and presentation are lighter than the others and the content is less sophisticated. So if you’re defining “health” as nonmedical, you may well find the kind of information you seek. Its “Nitty Gritty Sex Quiz” is a far cry from MediConsult’s poll on managing diabetes! But the Web is all about variety, so check it out and see what you think.

After you check out these sites, you can register to vote at https://www.webbyawards.com/peoples/register.phtml. It’s an easy process: Log on, get the URL for the voting area and a password to cast your vote. Winners in various categories will be named March 18. In the meantime, e-mail me if you’d like and let me know which of these Web sites you liked the best. And keep browsing . . . because our feedback is what will keep perfecting the Web.

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Marla Bolotsky is managing editor and director of online information for the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. She welcomes suggestions of Web sites for review and can be reached by e-mail at marla.bolotsky@latimes.com.

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Your Health Online runs every other Monday in Health.