Public Citizen Health Research Group

The Public Citizen Health Research Group is an organization that attempts to give consumers more control over decisions that affect their health. In the following viewpoint, the organization contends that much of the medical information on the Internet is wrong or misleading. For example, a 1997 study found that online information about fever in children was unreliable and, in some cases, put children at risk. The organization reports that some websites recommended the use of aspirin to treat fevers in spite of the fact that current medical guidelines recommend that aspirin never be used in treating fever in children as it has been linked to the often fatal Reye’s syndrome disease.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. Why does the Public Citizen Health Research Group criticize many...