Margaret (not her real name), a 64-year old, says that she is interested in finding out more information about Vitamin D. A recent blood test performed as part of her annual checkup showed that Margaret’s Vitamin D level was low. She has since been taking Vitamin D following her doctor’s directions. Margaret understands that it is “not critical” that she find out more information about this condition. From a medical point of view, she is right: after all, the diagnosis has already been made, the treatment has already been prescribed, and she is taking the medicine as prescribed. There is really no need for this patient to have more information.

Still, Margaret stresses that she is “simply interested in finding out” more information about this condition because she is “curious.” Like the majority of her age peers, Margaret has always relied on doctors as her primary source of health and medical information. Since this situation not critical, she does not want to make a special appointment with her doctor just for this reason. She plans to wait until her next regular appointment to see if she might be able to get information from her doctor - although she also realizes that her time with the doctor during an office visit is typically too short and she often cannot have the time to ask every question that she would like to ask. Meanwhile, since Margaret has been a computer user for a few years and has been hearing about all of the wonderful information that is available on the Internet, she wonders, would it be possible to find some information about Vitamin D from the Internet?