As more Chinese turn to the Internet in search of information related to health issues and medical care, concern is growing that people (33)______ receive incorrect or contradictory advice (34)______ ______ a lack of regulation related to online health information.
A survey conducted by the health education center of the National Health and Family Planning Commission showed that the Web has become a major channel for people seeking health-related information. Around 30 percent of those (35) ______(survey) said they habitually searched the Internet for “self-diagnosis tips” before (36)______(consult) a doctor.
“Health content is easily available and abundant in cyberspace, but much of it is unprofessional and incorrect,” Mao Qun’an, a commission spokesman, said.
That message was brought home recently when Baidu, one of China’s most popular online search engines, found (37)______ at the center of a controversy related to medical information.
Last month, 36 healthcare NGOs asked the Beijing authorities to conduct (38)______ investigation into Baidu over what they claimed were “inappropriate marketing practices”.
The NGOs made a joint complaint with the Beijing Administration of Industry and Commerce, (39)______ (accuse) the Nasdaq-listed online giant of violating the Advertisement Law by allowing misleading medical ads to be listed on its forums(论坛).
Moreover, some users of Baidu Tieba, an online community-based group discussion platform, have charged the company with selling details from its forum to unregulated private hospitals, making it easier for them to reach potential clients.
In response, Baidu issued a statement (40)______ ______ it promised to cease the commercialization of forums that focus on the diagnosis and treatment of illnesses and could influence patients’ recovery and well-being. Baidu also invited NGOs to run the forums.