[...] Online health sites have been booming in the past five years, experts say, driven by the popularity of social networking and patients' desire to become more empowered in the increasingly complex medical field. Many of the sites have recently experienced heavy traffic from users seeking information on the H1N1 virus. Officials of the Health 2.0 Conference, which tracks the industry, estimate that the number of such sites climbed to nearly 500 from about 35 four years ago.

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Susannah Fox, associate director of Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project who follows the industry, said WiserTogether is entering a cluttered space with lots of sites devoted to pregnancy and babies, including What to Expect and BabyCenter. But she said the customized research might be useful.

"That definitely is different from the other sites," Fox said. "There's an appetite for individualized medical information, making sure you have the very latest research to make your decision."

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