Among the new Web page's offerings are primers on preventing food poisoning while barbecuing, coping with memory loss and reading nutrition labels. It also links to reliable sources of health information, such as the National Institutes of Health's popular MedlinePlus.gov, and includes a "Test Your Knowledge" section that quizzes people on medical matters. (For instance: Does memory loss from a blow to the head get better, worse or stay the same? Answer: It "typically stays the same or gradually gets better, but not worse," the FDA reports.)
But while the site appears friendlier than the main FDA site (www.fda.gov), it doesn't delve into sophisticated matters that some health consumers may be seeking, said Arthur Levin, director of the Center for Medical Consumers, an advocacy group based in New York. What's missing, Levin said, is easy access to more-complex information such as drug approval letters and FDA advisory committee transcripts. To find those, consumers still need to drill down into the FDA's main Web site.
"This doesn't get you the information that at least I'm looking for," Levin said. The new page is "purely consumer-oriented in the most basic kind of way." Still, "anything that makes entry into information on the Web easier for consumers, I think is a good idea."
People may also sign up for a new free monthly e-newsletter at www.fda.gov/consumer/consumerenews.html.
