Evaluating Health Information on the Internet
Unlike information found in medical textbooks, which has been evaluated and edited by professionals, the information on the Internet is unfiltered. It is up to the user to evaluate and judge how good the information really is. When looking for health information it is particularly important to think about the information critically and examine the Web site carefully. Listed below are some questions and tips to think about when searching for good health information on the Internet.
What type of site is it? Is it a government site, educational or commercial? Look at the web address for the extension. The most common are .gov for government, .edu for educational, .com for commercial and .org for organizational.
Who is sponsoring the site? A good Web site will make sponsorship information clear. There should also be an address (besides an e-mail address) or a phone number to contact for more information.
What are the credentials of the sponsor or author of the material on site? If it is an organization or association, is it nationally recognized or is it a local group? Also, are the author's qualifications relevant to the topic being discussed? For example, someone with a Ph.D. in psychology should not necessarily be accepted as an expert on nutrition.
What is the purpose of the site? Is it a public service or is it trying to sell something? If there is advertising on a page, something that is more and more common even with non-commercial sites, it should be clearly separated from the informational content. Also, it is easy to disguise promotional material as "patient education" on web sites. If a product or treatment is given a good review on one site, try to find other sites that also approve of it.
How current is the information? A good site will list when a page was first established and when it was last up-dated. If there are links to other sites, are they up-to-date?
How accurate is the information? This can be hard to determine if you're not familiar with a topic but there are some things to look for. For example, is the information free of spelling errors and typos? Mistakes of these kind can indicate a lack of quality control. Are the sources of factual information listed? For instance, if a document states, "recent studies indicate...", are the sources for the study listed so they can be verified? If a topic is controversial, is the information presented in a balanced way? There are many controversies in regard to treatment options; however, a good site will present the pros and cons of a particular option. Be cautious with sites that claim "miracle cures" or make conspiracy claims.
Evaluate each site separately. Links can often lead from a good site to ones of lesser quality.
Look for awards or certificates that a site has received. For example, the HON Code logo is displayed by sites that have agreed to abide by eight principals set by the Health on the Net Foundation. These principles set standards for accuracy, bias, sponsorship and confidentiality. When using a directory or search engine that rates sites, read the page that discusses what criteria are used to determine a site's rating.
The Internet is a wonderful source of information and, when used carefully, can be very helpful in answering health-related questions. But the information found on the Internet should never be used as a substitute for consulting with a health professional. And, whenever using the Internet, keep in mind the caveat, "It is so easy to post information on the Internet that almost any idiot can do it, and almost every idiot has."
This list of Internet resources is selective and limited to those sites the Library staff has found useful. Inclusion of a site does not imply the Library or Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center endorses its content. Remember, just because something appears on the Internet that does not mean the material is reliable.
American Heart Association
Official web site of the American Heart Association, includes information on heart disease, prevention, heart-healthy recipes.
Arthritis Foundation
Official web site of the Arthritis Foundation, includes information on the different types of arthritis, latest treatment options, selected articles from Arthritis Today magazine.
CancerNet Cancer Information
gateway to current and accurate cancer information from the National Cancer Institute
CAPHIS Top100
list of recommended health sites from the Consumer and Patient Health Information Section (CAPHIS) of the Medical Library Association
Food and Drug Administration
drug approval announcements, news releases and recalls
HealthFinder
a gateway consumer health and human services information web site from the United States government.
MAYO Clinic HealthOasis
an easy to search site with timely and authoratative information from the Mayo Clinic.
MEDLINEplus
a consumer health version of MEDLINE; includes information on a wide variety of health topics, links to dictionaries, databases, and organizations.
Mental Health Net
articles on many mental health conditions; useful links.
National Women's Health Information Center
a service of the Office on Women's Health in the Department of Health and Human Services; it provides a gateway to many Federal and other women's health information resources.
NOAH: New York Online Access to Health
accurate, current and unbiased full-text health information for consumers in both English and Spanish.
Penn State Hershey Medical Center Health Information Library
articles on diseases and conditions that include signs, symptoms, causes, risk factors, when to seek medical advice, screening and diagnosis, complications, treatments and prevention; links to our specialists who treat each condition.
PubMed
the National Library of Medicine's search service that provides access to over 11 million citations in MEDLINE, PreMEDLINE, and other related databases, with links to participating online journals.
QuackWatch Home Page
full-text articles on questionable alternative health therapies; advice for consumers on avoiding "quacky" sites.
Tufts University Nutrition Navigator
rating and review guide to nutrition sites on the Web; very useful.
YourSurgery.Com
multimedia database of the most commonly performed surgeries designed to educate the average individual about their surgery.
Disclaimer
Information provided by the Community Health Information Library does not imply medical recommendation or endorsement. The information provided should not be used as a substitute for consultation with a health care provider.
