Have you wondered what the Internet could do for you if you joined? Or are you already on the Net, but you're looking for an interesting place to visit? In either case, read on.

The MedAccess page is a good example of what the Internet has to offer. It's a free service that enables you to be a better health care consumer. It can also let you know surprisingly detailed information about environmental factors in your locality that affect your health.

According to its founder, Jamie Taaffe, MedAccess is the world's largest data base on the US health care provider system. It has information on more than 600,000 physicians, plus all the HMOs and hospitals in this country. It also has extensive information on first aid, nutrition, lifestyle and the different diseases. It has more than a million items about the environment.

Taaffe got the idea for MedAccess when he worked for Massachusetts General Hospital. His friends, knowing he worked at a hospital, were constantly asking him, "Jamie, I need a doc. Who should I go to?"

He discovered that most people put more effort into buying a car than into choosing a doctor. "There are studies," he pointed out, "showing that on average we'll test drive three to five cars before we buy one. We'll check out, at most, two physicians.

" There are, of course reasons for this. "Usually," he acknowledged, "when we're choosing health care, it's an emergency or we don't feel good."

MedAccess is an answer to the problem of getting information quickly and easily, when it's needed--or better yet, before it's needed. Using MedAccess, you can find a specialist in your area, and you can learn about his or her accreditation and hospital affiliation.

By the end of 1996, Taaffe expects that he'll have enough information about each of the 600,000 physicians so that you will be able to narrow your search with precision. By accessing his Web site on the Internet, you could, for instance, find the nearest ophthalmologist who specializes in detached macula. If the doctor is associated with a hospital, you can display a map of how to get to that hospital.

You can also read articles on such topics as: how to be a good health care consumer; what you should know in choosing an HMO; or how to interview a prospective physician. There are many articles on healthy lifestyle, and extensive information on first aid.

MedAccess is particularly strong on the environment and health. "You can literally put in your zip code and find out about what toxins have been dumped in your area," he said. The EPA's Toxic Release Inventory is the basis for this information. You can also learn about air quality and water quality, and the leading causes of death in your area.

There's a section that gives practical advice on environmental changes that you can make that can have a real impact on your health. Radon may be responsible for as much as 20% of all lung cancer, but if you are in danger from radon, you can significantly lessen the danger by venting your basement. You are many times more at risk from vapors from cleaning fluids and paints than from virtually any of the air pollutants that normally concern us, and again venting the room where you're using them is an important thing to do.

The Internet can be an important source of useful information. If you'd like to visit the MedAccess site, the Internet address is: http://www.medaccess.com.