Koop part of team offering new health care Web site

A new Web site designed to provide consumers with credible online health care information and services has been launched by Empower Health Corporation. The site was started under the guidance of former U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop.

"I am excited about how the Web has greatly enhanced consumers' abilities to access health-care information," Koop said. "I firmly believe that empowered consumers make better, more informed decisions with their physicians."

Koop is the chairman of Empower Health Corporation. The company is based in Austin, Texas, and was started in January, 1997.

After conducting research studies with both individuals and physicians, a new Web site was developed:

www.drkoop.com.

A release from the company said the site was designed for easy navigation and is divided into two main sections: health resources and interactive community.

An online health care survey was conducted by Bruskin Goldring Research, surveying 1,023 American adults older than 18.

One in four respondents said they believe health care information on the Web is inaccurate. About 58 percent said an endorsement of a Web site by their family doctor would increase their trust in a site; 36 percent said trust would come from the U.S. surgeon general's endorsement.

"Consumers are telling us they want to be able to trust health-care information on the Internet," Koop said. "However they use information from the Web, they should always consult with their physician when making health care decisions."

The health resources section of the site is a reference source for consumers, covering the life of an individual from cradle to grave.

There are sections dedicated to children's, women's and men's health as well as healthy aging. The site covers more than 50 health and wellness topics with content from a variety of sources including the University of Pennsylvania Health System.

The health resources area also has a drug interaction system with information on thousands of prescription and over-the-counter drugs. Data on drug reactions and interactions between multiple drugs is available.

A release announcing the site said this information is important, as the Journal of the American Medical Association recently reported that adverse drug events are the fourth leading cause of death in the United States with more than 100,000 deaths occurring in 1997.

The Internet site also has health-care news including new treatments, recent research and other developments in the health -care field.

The interactive section of drkoop.com offers discussions on a variety of topics.

With health forums and chats, consumers can interact with others online to discuss health-related topics and develop online mutual support groups.

In addition, guest speakers and medical experts will be featured. The release said Koop and Dr. Nancy Snyderman, a medical correspondent for ABC, were set among the first participants in discussions of consumer empowerment and health care. Snyderman is also a director in Empower Health Corporation.

The research conducted to start the Web site showed Americans are concerned about finding credible health-care information. Consumers also had an interest in numerous sources and opinions when making health care decisions. As a result of these findings, drkoop.com developed an online health-search and site-rating system.

Koop's Health Search, a trademarked service, includes a directory of more than a thousand of the best health care sites on the World Wide Web. The sites were evaluated based on criteria formulated by several independent organizations including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Healthcare Information Technology Institute and Honcode.

In addition, the directory includes criteria such as ease-of-use and interactivity. Users may also review the sites themselves and submit sites to drkoop.com for review.

"We want Dr. Koop's Health Search to be the leading reference tool for consumers to find trusted, quality health sites on the Web," said Donald Hackett, president and chief executive officer of Empower Health. "As the number of health care Web sites has proliferated to more than 10,000, consumers need a way to sift through the maze of information to find what they need."

The new Web site is Empower Health's first product.

In addition to the features listed, the site offers an online pharmacy and has electronic commerce capabilities.

In addition to Hackett, Koop and Snyderman, other board members include John F. Zaccaro, the former executive producer of the American Medical Association's International Health and Medical Films competition; and Richard Helppie, chairman and chief executive officer of Superior Consultant Holdings Corporation, a health care information technology consulting firm.

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