Kisely, Stephen R · The Australian and New Zealand journal of psychiatry · 2002 · DOI
Researchers looked at what information about ME/CFS treatments people were finding on the Internet in 2000. They found that most websites did not provide balanced or accurate information compared to what scientific research actually shows. Only a few websites told readers to check the information with their doctor, and many lacked proper author credentials or sources.
This study highlights a critical gap in health literacy for ME/CFS patients: most readily available Internet information is not evidence-based. Understanding the quality and reliability of online resources helps patients make informed decisions about treatment options and empowers them to critically evaluate health information they encounter.
This study does not assess whether patients actually followed the misinformation found online or experienced harm. It also reflects information available in 2000 and does not address how Internet content quality or search engine algorithms have evolved since then. The cross-sectional design cannot establish causation or long-term impact.
About the PEM badge: “PEM required” means post-exertional malaise was an explicit required diagnostic criterion for participant inclusion in this study — not that PEM was studied, observed, or discussed. Studies using criteria that do not require PEM (e.g. Fukuda, Oxford) are tagged “PEM not required”. How the atlas works →
The first block is for the primary paper and is the citation you should use in research work. The atlas-snapshot line only applies if you are specifically referring to this atlas’s reading of the paper on the date shown.
Primary citation
Kisely, Stephen R (2002). Treatments for chronic fatigue syndrome and the Internet: a systematic survey of what your patients are reading.. The Australian and New Zealand journal of psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1440-1614.2002.01017.x
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-kisely-2002-treatments-chronic,
author = {Kisely, Stephen R},
title = {Treatments for chronic fatigue syndrome and the Internet: a systematic survey of what your patients are reading.},
journal = {The Australian and New Zealand journal of psychiatry},
year = {2002},
doi = {10.1046/j.1440-1614.2002.01017.x},
note = {PubMed: 11982547},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/kisely-2002-treatments-chronic},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-27. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/kisely-2002-treatments-chronic
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