Millions of consumers get health information from magazines, TV or the Internet. Some of the information is reliable and up to date; some is not. How can you tell the good from the bad?
First, consider the source. If you use the Web, look for an "about us" page. Check to see who runs the site: Is it a branch of the government, a university, a health organization, a hospital or a business? Focus on quality. Does the site have an editorial board? Is the information reviewed before it is posted? Be skeptical. Things that sound too good to be true often are. You want current, unbiased information based on research.
National Library of Medicine
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Evaluating Internet Health Information: A Tutorial from the National Library of Medicine
(National Library of Medicine) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/webeval/webeval.html
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MedlinePlus Guide to Healthy Web Surfing(National Library of Medicine) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/healthywebsurfing.html
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/healthywebsurfing.html
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10 Things to Know about Evaluating Medical Resources on the Web(National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine) - http://nccam.nih.gov/health/webresources/
Also available in Spanish http://nccam.nih.gov/espanol/internet/
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Finding Reliable Health Information Online(National Human Genome Research Institute) - http://www.genome.gov/11008303
- Health InSight: Taking Charge of Health Information(Harvard School of Public Health) - http://www.health-insight.harvard.edu/
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Health on the Web: Finding Reliable Information(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/healthy/safety/safety/783.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/healthy/safety/safety/783.printerview.html
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How to Evaluate Health Information on the Internet(National Cancer Institute) - http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Information/internet
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Is This Health Information Good for Me?(National Network of Libraries of Medicine, Pacific Northwest Region) - http://nnlm.gov/pnr/hip/criteria.html
Also available in Spanish http://nnlm.gov/pnr/hip/informacion.html
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National Library of Medicine Guide to Finding Health Information(National Library of Medicine) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/services/guide.html
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Cancer Risk: What Does That Newspaper Article Really Say?(National Cancer Institute) - http://understandingrisk.cancer.gov/media/newspaper.cfm
- Deciphering Media Stories on Diet: Nutrition in the News(Harvard School of Public Health) - http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/nutrition-news/media/
- Simple Test Rates Accuracy of Cancer-Related Web Sites(American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/NWS/content/NWS_2_1x_Simple_Test_Rates_Accuracy_Of_Cancer-Related_Web_Sites.asp
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'Miracle' Health Claims: Add a Dose of Skepticism(Federal Trade Commission) - http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/health/hea07.shtm
Also available in Spanish http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/spanish/health/s-frdheal.htm
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Deciphering Medspeak(Medical Library Association) - http://www.mlanet.org/resources/medspeak/index.html
Also available in Spanish http://www.mlanet.org/resources/medspeak/index_spanish.html
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How To Find Medical Information(National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases) - http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/how_to_find.asp
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JAMA Patient Page: Evidence-Based Medicine(American Medical Association) - http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/296/9/1192.pdf
Also available in Spanish http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/data/296/9/1192/DC1/1
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JAMA Patient Page: Medical Journals(American Medical Association) - http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/295/15/1860.pdf
Also available in Spanish http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/data/287/21/2898/DC1/1
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Understanding Risk: What Do Those Headlines Really Mean?(National Institutes of Health) - http://www.nih.gov/news/WordonHealth/apr2004/risk.htm
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Evaluating Internet Health Information: A Tutorial from the National Library of Medicine(National Library of Medicine) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/webeval/webeval.html
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Public health and Web 2.0. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18678114&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: The disorder of health information. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18678109&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: The educational preparation of student nurses as communicators of health... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18678108&tool=MedlinePlus
- Evaluating Health Information -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=(internet[majr]+OR+communication[majr]+OR+publishing[majr])+AND+health+education[majr]+AND+english[la]+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- "Top Ten" Most Useful Websites(Medical Library Association) - http://www.mlanet.org/resources/medspeak/topten.html
- Health On the Net Foundation - http://www.hon.ch/
- Medical Library Association - http://www.mlanet.org/
- National Health Information Center(Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion) - http://www.health.gov/nhic/
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National Library of Medicine - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/
- URAC - http://www.urac.org/
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Health Quackery: Spotting Health Scams(National Institute on Aging) - http://www.nia.nih.gov/HealthInformation/Publications/quackery.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nia.nih.gov/Espanol/Publicaciones/charlatanes
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Online Health Information: Can You Trust It?(National Institute on Aging) - http://www.nia.nih.gov/HealthInformation/Publications/onlinehealth.htm
- Understanding Medical Research - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/understandingmedicalresearch.html
- Personal Health Issues - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/personalhealthissues.html
- Wellness and Lifestyle - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/wellnessandlifestyle.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Evaluating Health Information is the National Library of Medicine - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/