The problem with searching the Internet isn't the quantity of information. It's wading through endless pages to find kernels of truth among the useless chaff.

When it comes to the many topics you might research online, getting less than 100% accurate information usually isn't a big deal. An extra cup of sugar or one less egg in your cookie recipe might not make the tastiest treat, but it probably won't do you any real harm (other than perhaps making it that much tougher to shed a few pounds!).

Of course, there are some topics where anything but complete and fully accurate data can be a big problem. In the case of medical information, wrong or incomplete advice could make you sick (or worse!).

Say you visit a Web site telling you that the latest Whiz-Bang Mega Protein Compound -- available only by ordering from the Web, naturally -- can do everything from grow hair to revitalize your energy or even drop a couple of pant sizes. Outrageous claims and "exclusive" online availability should always raise a warning flag. Yet what about more official looking sites -- run by medical doctors or health organizations? Shouldn't it be safe to assume that healthcare professionals are responsible and only have your best interests in mind?

In a perfect world, that would be the case -- but the world, and especially the Internet, is far from a perfect place. Whenever you're looking online for information that affects your health or the well-being of your loved ones, always keep a healthy dose of skepticism in the back of your mind. After all, your primary health care physician is the person whom you should really trust, not some anonymous digital doctor.

What can you expect to find when searching for online medical information? A recent survey conducted by RAND researchers for the California HealthCare Foundation uncovered results that should at least cause you to pause before you accept everything you find online at face value (the complete 96-page study is available online at www.rand.org/publications/documents/interneteval ).

Primary among the findings was evidence that using a search engine to find information online produced satisfactory results only about 20% of the time (less if the search was conducted in Spanish). For information that was relevant, it was often promotional and not clearly labeled as an advertisement.

Further, the study discovered that when relevant information is found, while it's more often than not accurate, it wasn't complete and often offered only minimal coverage on a given topic. Also, half of the health information on the Web is difficult to understand and filled with complex terms that can create confusion or misunderstandings in interpretation for the average consumer.

That said, here's a short list of resources that are loaded with good information to help keep you and your loved ones healthy.

For starters, the American Hospital Directory is an excellent online resource for locating and checking out local hospitals or out-of-state hospitals if you're planning an extended visit. Its detailed database also allows you to look up hospitals according to the criteria you specify, and the directory includes key measurements of hospitals and their performance.

The American Medical Association provides information on virtually every licensed physician in the United States, including more than 690,000 doctors of medicine (MD) and doctors of osteopathy or osteopathic medicine (DO).

Intelihealth is a great overall resource. It contains one of the most comprehensive and detailed databases online for Common Diseases and Conditions.

If it's information about pharmaceutical drugs you're after, check the Physician's Desk Reference site .

Former Surgeon General for the United States, C. Everett Koop, offers up Dr.Koop.com -- one of the most popular resources on the Web for all matters concerning health and medicine. At the Dr. Koop Insurance Center , you can get advice on finding the health insurance plan that's right for you, how to file complaints against your current coverage plan and more.

Centerwatch provides information about clinical trials, the latest research developments, new medical procedures and more. For cancer patients, a wonderful resource similar to CenterWatch can be found at the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Trials Web site.

Perhaps the world's most famous and well-known clinic, the Mayo Clinic offers an online area that covers health up and down, from simple cures to complex discussions about the latest medical advances.

And just in case you are wondering how long you might live, that too is online. Brought to you by Microsoft's MoneyCentral Retirement Center, the Life Expectancy Calculator asks you to input several key factors like gender, age, weight, height and health habits, as well as answering a few simple questions regarding your family history and other items. The calculator then uses a detailed mathematical formula combined with database comparisons to give you what seems to be a fairly accurate estimate of your life expectancy.

The bottom line when seeking online health information is to make sure you know your source. With the deep well of available data, be patient and be prepared to spend adequate time searching and researching even a single question.

Know too that what you find out may not be comprehensive, and many sources of information may have been created for the purpose of selling you a product by providing certain data. Finally, don't be surprised if what you find conflicts with other sites (or even within the same site); use the Web as a health guide, but stick with the advice and direction of your health care provider for treatment.

Kim Komando is a national talkshow host, syndicated columnist, computer editor and best-selling author. Her works have appeared in such publications as USA TODAY, the Los Angeles Times and Popular Mechanics. In cyberspace, she can be found at www.komando.com . Got a question for Kim? Put a call into the Kim Komando Computer Show - toll-free at 1-888-825-5254, on Saturdays between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. ET. Or e-mail her at komando@komando.com .

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