AboutArthritis.com Interactive SmartMed Center Launched by MedicineNet.com; First in a Series of Condition-Specific Medical Information Sites Produced by Specialists.

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IRVINE, Calif.--(BW HealthWire)--June 20, 2000

MedicineNet.com, a privately-held Internet provider of proprietary 100% doctor-produced healthcare information on the World Wide Web at www.medicinenet.com, today announced that it is launching AboutArthritis.com, a satellite interactive web site that offers a robust compilation of specific information on arthritis and rheumatic diseases for viewers, produced by arthritis specialists.

AboutArthritis.com features comprehensive news and information, including a "Learn the Basics" section, key words, and a highly useful listing of "10 Questions to Ask Your Doctor." Several types of arthritis are covered, in an easy-to-use pull-down menu; and a friendly, interactive community section showcases audio dialogues between two Board-certified physicians regarding topics of such common interest as the use of chondroitin and glucosamine, as well as less common, but serious conditions, such as osteonecrosis ("bone death").

Viewers can check an index of arthritis-related questions and answers under "Doctors' Response," which is derived from copious information on the MedicineNet.com database. A doctor-monitored Message Board allows patients to reach out to each other, in the AboutArthritis.com Support Group.

"Since we are all quickly becoming victims of information overload on the World Wide Web, the developers of MedicineNet.com felt that we could best serve the needs of medical information retrievers (the second largest group of online viewers) by giving them immediate access to condition-specific areas," stated Gene Lu, President of MedicineNet.com. "With our SmartMed Centers, viewers no longer have to 'drill down' through layers of information -- they can go directly to one of our Centers and retrieve focused information pertinent to their medical concern. These satellite sites are highly personalized, extremely friendly, and, we hope, will take the fear out of medical treatment and promote patient well-being."

As William C. Shiel, Jr., M.D., F.A.C.P., a Board-certified Rheumatologist and a co-founder of MedicineNet.com, notes in his column on the AboutArthritis.com web site, "At AboutArthritis.com, we will keep a vigilant lookout for arthritis topics of interest, such as new procedures, medications, self-care techniques, breaking research and controversial methods, that pop up so frequently in the public arena."

Dr. Shiel's emphasis on patient education is evident in his comment that "I encourage patients to be motivated to take every advantage of the medical breakthroughs of our age. Patients and their families should become as informed as possible about their health issues. They should understand the diagnoses, likely course and long-term outlook, treatment options, and warning signs of complications. Working with an informed and motivated patient unquestionably affords the opportunity for ideal care."

AboutArthritis.com is the first in a series of SmartMed Centers to be launched throughout the year by MedicineNet.com: the next SmartMed Centers to be offered will cover Digestion, Allergies, Diabetes, Cancer, and the Heart.

The MedicineNet.com database is comprised of more than 13,000 pages of content, substantially more than any other consumer-oriented online medical resource. MedicineNet.com presents information on more than 1,000 diseases and treatments, medical procedures and tests, as well as detailed information about proper uses, potential side effects and drug interactions of more than 300 of the most common prescription and OTC medicines. The MedicineNet.com medical dictionary includes more than 7,500 entries published by IDG in hard copy (along with a CD-ROM) as the Webster's New World(TM) Medical Dictionary, available in bookstores this month.

About MedicineNet.com

MedicineNet.com was founded in 1996 by a group of dedicated, forward-thinking physicians and high-tech executives. Over the past four years, the Company has focused on content creation by 60+ physicians from a variety of disciplines across the United States. Privately-held, MedicineNet.com owes its longevity to a sponsorship-driven business model and modest expenditures that have not included large advertising budgets.

The Company's network of U.S. board-certified physician writers and scientists provides proprietary, easy-to-read, in-depth medical information for consumers in a user-friendly, interactive format. May 2000 viewer visits totaled 835,600, with more than 4.7 million page views. MedicineNet.com has posted more than 3.8 million unique viewers to its web site since November 1998.

For further information, please visit www.medicinenet.com or contact David Sorenson, Marketing Manager, at [e-mail], 949/754-6520.

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