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Untrustworthy Organizations in the Healthfinder Database
- Healthfinder® is a government-run site which
claims to be "your guide to reliable health information."
The site states:
- In the healthfinder selection process, each organization
is reviewed to establish its general reliability and credibility,
as well as its ability to respond to inquiries from the public.
Once an organization is selected, its traditional contact information,
direct Internet links (if available), and an abstract describing
the organization and its information and referral services are
entered into the healthfinder database.
- Organizations should provide a substantial amount of consumer
health information as part of their mission, and that information
should be current, consistent with basic science and recommendations
of recognized authorities, and well-designed.
- Only after we carefully review an organization do we choose
information from its Web site for our health library.
- Unfortunately, the "careful review" does not seem
to include sufficient willingness to confront quackery. The following
organizations are listed in its database, even though, in most
cases, I have notified the Healthfinder staff that they promote
untrustworthy ideas. The most egregious inclusion is the American
College for Advancement in Medicine, which is under an FTC cease-and-desist
order not to misrepresent chelation therapy in advertising yet
continues to do so on its Web site.
-
- Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Alliance
- Alternative Medicine Foundation
American Academy of Environmental Medicine
American Academy of Medical Acupuncture
American Association of Oriental Medicine
American Association of Naturopathic Physicians
American Chiropractic Association
American College for Advancement in Medicine
American Holistic Health Association
American Holistic Nurses' Association
- American Massage Therapy Association
- American Meditation Institute
- Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals
Association for Integrative Medicine
Association of Chiropractic Colleges
- Autism Society of America
- CAM Research Center for Cardiovascular Diseases
- Center for Addiction and Alternative Medicine Research
- Center for the Study of Autism
- Center for the Study of Complementary and Alternative Therapies
Council for Naturopathic Medical Education
Council for Responsible Nutrition
Council of Colleges of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine
- Emory University Center for Research on Complementary and
Alternative Medicine in Neurodegenerative Diseases
- Environmental Health Network
- Flower Essence Society
- HELP-Institute for Body Chemistry
International Chiropractors Association
National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy
- National Board of Chiropractic Examiners
- National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
National Center for Homeopathy
- National Certification Board for Therapeuic Massage and Bodywork
National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental
Medicine
- Reflexology Association of America
- White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Policy
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This page was posted on December 15,
2003.