Julie Howard
The Idaho Statesman

Is it really healthier to be a vegetarian?

Can pool water be dangerous for pregnant women?

How do you curb those nighttime munchies?

A Nampa chiropractor has the answers. At least, Dr. Paul Edwards is providing the NampaHealth.org Web site that includes articles and advice on a wide variety of health topics from dermatology to podiatry.

With its launch last month, NampaHealth.org joins a growing trend toward more health information being disseminated over the Internet. From the popular drkoop.com to webmd.com, these Web sites offer a bonanza of often casual medical advice.

But medical practitioners also recognize the value and power of the World Wide Web. Boise-based Healthwise, for instance, produces books, pamphlets and Internet-based resources on health-care subjects, with its products estimated to reach 22 million families each year.

Edwards launched NampaHealth.com as a way to better market his own practice and to expand on his philosophy of treating the whole patient. Individuals can register free to receive a twice-monthly e-mail that includes health-related updates along with a link to the site and its articles. The site does not require registration for access.

“We already provide our own patients a lot of information through a newsletter and a lending library,” Edwards said. “I´m just trying to put more information out there. And it´s free.”

The idea and template for the Web site came from a New York chiropractor who created the health-related site as http://www.hunterdonhealthonline.org/ Edwards pays a monthly fee to the New York doctor for use of the template and for training to create a local version.

Along with the template comes the bulk of the articles on the Nampa site, but Edwards said he will add his own chiropractic-focused articles soon and will solicit articles from other area doctors.

There are about 1,000 subscribers to NampaHealth.org´s bi-monthly e-mail alerts.

In time, Edwards hopes to add other types of doctors as Web site partners, having them pay a $50-per-month fee to be listed on the site as advisers.

“I would hope people who read over the site will contact us if there are questions,” Edwards said.

The NampaHealth.org site also includes a local community calendar and health-related questions of the month. National and international health news is also included with links to national publications provided. More than 25 health specialties — from alternative medicine to veterinary medicine — are represented on the site.

Idaho has at least two other companies that focus on delivering medical information via the Internet.

Healthwise´s site does not provide health-care articles; the company uses the Internet, however, to e-mail information directly to patients identified by its health-care customers.

North Idaho-based Medjour nal.com, which is targeted toward medical professionals, does provide health articles on its Web site. On Tuesday, the Kellogg-based company announced it was named one of the most visited sites on the Internet by TrafficRanking.com, an independent Internet traffic ranking service.

To offer story ideas or comments, contact Julie Howard
jhoward@idahostatesman.com or 373-6618

Edition Date: 10-23-2002