Focus on: Information technology. Online drug information for dermatology patients

Abstract

Information about medications appropriate for dermatologists and patients with skin diseases is readily available on the Internet. Authoritative educational material is supplied by academic dermatologic associations and institutions and distributed by independent websites, large health portals, and search directories. Although it is easy to find excellent dermatological drug information, the World Wide Web is dynamic and unmoderated, and patients can be misled or exploited by inaccurate or fraudulent websites. Health on the Net and other organizations have developed ethical principles to aid consumers and evaluate the quality of health-related information.