Our
Approach: Plastic Surgery Websites
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Since
we believe the Internet should be an important source
of health information, we have developed
this website to provide credible information about
cosmetic surgery along with our opinions and approach
to various aspects of this specialty.
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We have strived to maintain an ethical approach throughout
our website. For example, we point out the pitfalls of
testimonials and before-and-after photos and realize their
prevalence on the Internet and the marketing advantage
they provide. Regardless, our site remains unique
in the absence of testimonials and before-and-after pictures.
Unfortunately, we have learned the hard way that providing
information about patented or trademarked procedures or
technology can lead to threats of litigation. As a result,
we have been forced to remove all names of such procedures
or technology, which we believe is unfortunate for the
cosmetic surgery consumer. This problem is troubling because unproven
marketing claims cannot be challenged -- leaving the consumer
with the impression that any marketing claim is fact.
Since we believe that accurate information is invaluable
to the medical consumer, we frequently update this website
to provide current information about new procedures.
An Internet Reality Check on Plastic Surgery Information
Cosmetic Surgery: Promises and Pitfalls™
PROMISES
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The
Internet can be a valuable resource for users seeking
health information. The
quality of this information is critically important
as it could potentially
affect health outcomes for millions. Yet the quality
of health information on
the Internet is extremely variable and difficult
to assess.
When the presentation of the material seems so authoritative,
whatever information is shown seems like it must be
accurate and useful.
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PITFALLS
- Every informational resource from the library
has been evaluated in one way or another before
you ever see it. This is true of books, journals,
and other materials. However, this is NOT
true of the internet. There is no oversight and
anyone can publish a website. "Excellent
resources reside along side the most dubious." LET
THE READER BEWARE! (from the Johns Hopkins Library's
website)
- The information should be accurate and
free of bias or specifically warn the
reader of the presence of any bias.
- Accuracy of the information on a website should
be verifiable. References to published studies
should be listed or linked. Never use
information that you cannot verify.
- All information on the internet
needs to be evaluated by readers for authority,
appropriateness, and other personal criteria for
value. If you find information that is "too
good to be true..." it probably is.
- A critical consumer must attempt
to differentiate between information and marketing
hype.
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"Today's
patients have access to much more medical information
than their predecessors did; unfortunately, much
of it is misinformation."
Bulletin of the American
College of Surgeons
December 2002 |
The Internet can be a valuable resource for users seeking
health information. The quality of this information is
critically important as it could potentially affect health
outcomes for millions. Yet the quality of health information
on the Internet is extremely variable and difficult to
assess. Thus the choice of appropriate evaluation criteria
for the information is both crucial and challenging.
Thus it is imperative that any health
care information be carefully scrutinized and verified
- not automatically regarded as fact . . .
While this problem is
generally recognized there is no consensus on how to resolve the problem (one such attempt is the "Health
Summit Working Group").
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