WebMD is a website devoted to pertinent healthcare information that was founded in 1998 by online entrepreneur Jeff Arnold. In 1999 the website merged with two other knowledge base networks to strengthen their quality of health and wellness information known as Salient Health Network (SHN) and Direct Medical Knowledge (DMK).

WebMD prides itself on having reputable and in some cases, award-winning journalists providing content for their website. Contributors also consist of accredited medical and health professionals, including physicians. All contributors are dedicated to the task of providing current up to date information on all things health and overall well-being.

WebMD is a totally free service for all to use, the website supports itself through ads that are posted on it along with sponsors and contributions made by third-party donors. While visiting WebMD, individuals can find information on various health conditions such as diabetes, shingles, and glaucoma, just to name a few. The information provided goes into the symptoms of the condition, along with the various stages. Included as well is pertinent images of the condition itself. Another valuable part of the portal is that it has a vast medication library. In other words, on new medicine and want more information on it then was given by the pharmacy, WebMD is the place to go to find it. Not only do they have information on conventional medicine and methods but alternative medicine as well.

WebMD also offers a symptom assessment portal as well. But keep in mind as the website itself states, it isn’t used in place of a doctor, it is used to get an idea of what could be going on before visiting a doctor’s office. As the website stresses they are a resource tool not a way to self diagnose yourself. Despite some criticism, WebMD has continued to strive and has become one of the most trusted health research websites online and is visited by thousands per month.