---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 7 Jun 2000 10:05:48 -0400
From: Jamie Gillen <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: APA Assists Consumers with Health Privacy Issues On the Web

Hello,

Please check out the American Psychological Association's (APA) new Web
site, dotCOMSENSE, located at <http://www.dotcomsense.com/index.html?hc>.
The resource provides visitors with help in assessing online mental health
resources and making health-related privacy decisions on the Net -- from
sharing personal information to understanding cookies.

I hope you will take a look at the APA's dotCOMSENSE site and feature it
on your site.  If you have any questions at all, please email me.

                                                        Thanks,
                                                        Jamie


The APA COMMON SENSE IN A "DOT COM" WORLD American Psychological
Association Helps Consumers Guard Privacy, Assess Mental Health
Information Online http://www.dotcomsense.com/index.html?hc

In response to the growing number of Web sites offering mental health
information, the American Psychological Association (APA) today released
new guidelines to help consumers use "common sense" to evaluate the
credibility of Web sites providing mental health advise, tips and
information.  The APA also offers advice on safeguarding one's privacy on
the Internet.  The new guidelines are featured in the free brochure titled
dotCOMSENSE.

"Rules are different in the 'dot com' world, says Russ Newman, PhD., J.D.,
APA's Executive Director for Professional Practice. "The American
Psychological Association wants to help consumers know what questions to
ask and what to look for to ensure that they are getting good information
when they click on a mental health Web site.  We also want to help
consumers guard their privacy."

Today, there are more than 15,000 places to find health information on the
Internet.  And, according to a Harris poll, more than 60 million people
searched for health information online last year, with 40 percent of those
users seeking information about mental health.  In a recent national poll
conducted by the APA, the majority of Internet users say they would find
it helpful to receive material about the usefulness and credibility of
online mental health information.  In response, APA provides dotCOMSENSE
to guide Internet users in their online health research.

Consumer tips provided in dotCOMSENSE at
<http://www.dotcomsense.com/index.html?hc> include:

* Watch for commercial influences:  Investigate who owns the Web site to
determine whether the mental health information being provided is
objective.

* Exercise caution:  Check to see whether a referenced source for
information is provided and whether licensed mental health practitioners
or experienced researchers in the field are used.

* Guard your privacy:  Make sure the Web site has a privacy policy and
take time to read it before submitting any personal information.

APA recommends that consumers check Web site privacy policies to determine
if personal information submitted online is traded or sold to other sites
or organizations.

"Many people like to keep personal information private.  This is
especially true regarding mental health-related issues." Newman says.
"Using some common sense while on the Internet can help people protect
their privacy. This Web site and accompanying brochure, dotCOMSENSE, helps
people understand just what common sense means in a 'dot com' world."

Above all else, Newman says, further investigation is warranted if
something seems questionable or if there is any doubt about information
being provided.  APA recommends checking information with a professional
association.

dotCOMSENSE is available free of charge through APA's consumer Web site,
http://www.helping.apa.org or http://www.dotcomsense.com/index.html?hc, or
by calling APA's toll-free number, 800-964-2000.

The American Psychological Association (APA), in Washington, DC, is the
largest scientific professional organization representing psychology in
the United States and is the world's largest association of psychologists.
APA's membership includes more than 159,000 researchers, educators,
clinicians, consultants and students. Through its divisions in 53
subfields of psychology and affiliations with 59 state, territorial and
Canadian provincial associations, APA works to advance psychology as a
science, as a profession and as a means of promoting human welfare.