Evaluating Medical Information on the Web

Anyone with a computer and Internet access can create a Web site, so judging the trustworthiness of scientific and health-related sites becomes the responsibility of each individual user. The following questions and answers serve as a starting point for evaluating medical Web sites. See also links to additional resources on this topic.

Is This Site Reliable?

Who maintains the site?

A responsible Web site should identify and describe the sponsoring organization as well as provide contact information that visitors can use to ask questions, request additional information, or send comments about site content.

Government-sponsored publications and Web sites are often good sources for scientifically sound health and medical information. Private practitioners or lay organizations may have marketing, social, or political agendas that can influence the type of material they offer on-site and which sites they link to.

A couple of good resources for accessing government-sponsored health information is Healthfinder and the National Library of Medicine's MEDLINEplus.

Does the site link to other good sources of medical information?

A reputable organization will not position itself as the sole source on a particular health topic and will link to complementary sources of information. Links alone are not a guarantee of reliability; any Web site can link to other sites, including those that contain questionable information.

Are statements supported by references to reputable sources?

Health-related claims that you find on the Web should be supported by legitimate research and medical institutions or peer-reviewed, scholarly publications. The following guides contain tips and criteria for distinguishing popular or trade magazines from scientific, scholarly journals.

Scholarly Versus Popular Information - An educational module that is part of Internet Navigator, a Web-delivered information literacy course developed by a team of academic librarians in Utah. Although it is targeted to high school or first-year college and university students, anyone can use this resource to build basic research skills for using libraries and the Internet.

Popular Magazines vs. Trade Magazines vs. Scholarly Journals - This site from the Colorado State University Libraries describes general criteria for distinguishing between popular magazines and scholarly journals. Criteria for evaluating articles available on the Web also are included.

Whenever you are researching a condition that affects you or someone you know, even if health-related information comes from a source that is reputed to be reliable, always check with a doctor to make sure that it is appropriate for your situation.

When was the site last updated?

Generally, the more current the site, the more likely it is to provide timely material. Ideally, health and medical sites should be updated weekly or monthly.

Has the site been reviewed for mistakes in grammar or spelling?

If a site contains several grammatical, spelling, or other errors, it shows that the content has not been carefully reviewed, and therefore its accuracy may be questionable.

Are informative graphics and multimedia files such as video or audio clips available?

These features can be useful in clarifying and explaining medical conditions and procedures, but they should not substitute for information based on sound medical or scientific evidence.

Additional Resources for Evaluating Health-Related Web Sites

A User's Guide to Finding and Evaluating Health Information on the Web - Find content evaluation guidelines and recommended sources from the Medical Library Association.

Ten Things to Know about Evaluating Medical Resources on the Web - Ten basic questions to consider when evaluating medical resources on the Web. From the National Cancer Institute.

Evaluating Health Information - A collection of resources from MEDLINEplus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.

Quack Watch - This Web site is dedicated to increasing public awareness of health-related frauds and fallacies. In addition to providing guides and tips for evaluating health-related resources, this site also includes lists of products, services, theories, and advertisements that are considered questionable or not recommended by the medical community.

Guidelines for Medical and Health Information Sites on the Internet - American Medical Association's overview of recommendations for maintaining health-related Web sites.

QUICK: The QUality Information ChecKlist - Targeted to a younger audience and produced by two nonprofit organizations in the United Kingdom, this site can serve as an educational aid for individuals of all ages. Evaluation criteria are presented in a checklist of questions and answers, with examples to illustrate each point.

Virtual "Treatments" Can Be Real-World Deceptions - This Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Consumer Alert provides a list of tips to help consumers spot phony and deceptive claims in advertisements for health-related products or therapies. It also tells consumers how to file a complaint with the FTC and provides a link to a collection of consumer information resources. See also 'Miracle' Health Claims: Add a Dose of Skepticism.

Recalls, Market Withdrawals and Safety Alerts - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration posts the latest alerts and recalls regarding medical devices, drugs, vaccines, and other biologics.

Current Health Related Hoaxes and Rumors - In addition to evaluating medical Web sites, consumers should also be aware of sources they can access to debunk medical misinformation posted on message boards or forwarded in e-mails. This list of current health-related hoaxes and rumors is provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A more comprehensive collection of rumors, hoaxes, and urban legends on a variety of subjects can be accessed from Urban Legends and Folklore at About.com.