Are you one of the millions of Americans who searches online for information regularly? Do you have special websites or are you a fan of using Google?
Google has become so popular that those who use the Internet often refer to searching online as “googling.” But searching for health information is more complicated than looking for information on the best food for your prized roses. So how can you tell quickly if a website is a reliable site for health information?
Sites that end with .gov and .edu are almost always reliable since the experts of the organization are researchers, doctors, scientists, and other specialists. Others, ending in .org, .net, or .com, investigate. Below are some tips I use to make sure that information is reliable and worth spending time searching through.
One thing every reliable website will have to help you know the information is accurate is the identity of the author. If this is not on the home page, look for the “About Us” section which describes who edits, authors, and reviews the information on the site. Look for biographies, credentials, and expertise in the subject. If I can’t find that information, I look for a reference to a known medical authority, such as a medical journal, government agency, respected non-profit organization, or school of medicine. Good sites that are not government or university sites will have a listing of their reviewers, board of advisors or content editors.
Similar to authorship is bias. Are authors only giving one point of view? Is the infomation straight forward and factual or filled with commentary and opinions? A reliable site will present health information that allows you to see options in a non-judgmental way.
One of the biggest red flags is a website that offers “teasers” but won’t give you any real information unless you first share personal facts such as your name, address, phone number, e-mail address or health concerns. This is often a sign of a definitely biased site. Read the privacy statements on these websites carefully before revealing any information.
Is there a lot of advertising for products or treatments? If so, is advertising clearly marked or does it all run together? If a site is continually promoting a single drug or treatment, it probably is trying to sell you something more than give you objective information.
When looking at health information, you want to know how old the information is. Medical information can change very quickly. Be sure that the information is dated within recent years.
It should not take you long to find the information you are looking for if the website is well organized. Is the navigation consistent from page to page? Some of the best medical websites use graphics and videos to help explain conditions and procedures more easily.
The best health information?
There are many great health information websites available today, and I never visit just one. Whenever I’m researching health information, I look at several websites One of the easiest ways to do that is through my favorite site where the information is monitored and reviewed by the National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health. It has information on conditions, drugs and supplements, and videos, you can even watch some surgeries. It’s MedlinePlus: www.medlineplus.gov. To find more reliable websites, visit http://hhlc.wikispaces.com.
By Amy Six-Means, Librarian Hanesbrands Health Learning Center, Sara Lee Center for Women’s Health, Forsyth Medical Center (336-277-3934)