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The Internet and the Web are the greatest tools the world has ever known for laypeople to access information otherwise difficult to obtain without consulting a professional (and paying a professional's fees). In many cases, should a given website turn out to be lacking in information, it may not matter much; little time or money may be lost. In cases of health, however, misinformation can be a matter of life or death.

I hope I don't have to tell you not to use the Web as a substitute for a health-care professional. Fortunately,

these days most reputable sites will tell you that themselves. Say, however, you're just surfing around in search of health news, random health facts, or information on a specific illness. Which sites can you trust?

Start with common sense -- obviously, a site developed by the American Medical Association is more trustworthy than a site selling a miracle cure for warts. There also are some organizations keeping an eye on health websites. Two of the best are the Health on the Net Foundation and QuackWatch. Sites that bear the HONCode seal of approval have demonstrated their legitimacy to the Health on the Net Foundation. You'll also find conference listings, news sources and other reputable resources here. QuackWatch, operated by Stephen Barrett, M.D., considers warning people about fraudulent health sites its sole purpose for existence. Twenty-Five Ways to Spot Quacks and Vitamin Pushers, Ten Ways to Avoid Being Quacked and How to Spot a 'Quacky' Web Site will start you thinking as a smart surfer should.

How to Search for Medical Information is another place to find both advice on judging websites and reputable health information sources. Bodyatlas also rates sites according to criteria that include quality of information and relevance to health.

This area also happens to be one in which you actually should trust the government. The National Institutes of Health and the National Library of Medicine have created a number of truly helpful sites, including PubMed, a free interface to search 9,000 medical citations, including Medline; and the Grateful Med, offering free searchable access to 11 databases, including HealthStar and AIDSLine.

AMA Health Insight -- Interactive Health and AMA Physician Select, On-Line Doctor Finder are two terrific information sources from the AMA. Use the first to create a personalized health, exercise, and nutritional program for yourself and your family; and the second to find specific kinds of doctors in your area or to check a doctor's credentials.

Finally, use RxList -- The Internet Drug Index to check out any drug or drug group. Remember, any "drug" purchased from a website is highly suspect, as is any "drug" given to you without a prescription or by anyone who isn't a doctor. But you already knew that, didn't you?