Subscription Web sites

Doctors deliver only about half of the recommended treatment and preventive care called for in clinical practice guidelines, the current standards of care, according to a study reported in the Annals of Family Medicine, May-June 2005. But you might not know what you're missing unless you do your own research. Free and subscription health Web sites can help you fill the information gap. Some examples of subscription online health services and resources, not rated by Consumer Reports WebWatch, include:

ConsumerReportsMedicalGuide.org ($19/year or $4.95/month). Provides treatment ratings and advice on 60 common conditions and diseases, and information on 900 over-the-counter and prescription drugs, based on expert reviews of the evidence.

RealAge.com (monthly reports, $30/year). Provides tailored reports on how to look and feel younger, and information such as avoiding disease, the effects of aging, and medical errors.

WebMD.com (Fertility Center, $19.95/month; Health Manager, $29.95/year; Weight Loss Clinic, $4.99/week). These provide tools, information, and resources for planning a pregnancy, assessing your health status and managing records, and losing weight.