From Snake Oil to Penicillin: Evaluating Consumer Health Information on the Internet

Course Description

This hands-on course will describe why it is important to evaluate websites. Participants will be given criteria for how to evaluate health information on the Internet.

Objectives

Learn how to evaluate health information sites on the internet using the following criteria:

Accuracy
Authority
Bias
Currency
Coverage

Course Materials

Continuing Education

Upon successful completion of this class, each participant will receive 3 hours of continuing education credit awarded by the Medical Library Association (MLA). This course is on the list of approved courses for the MLA Consumer Health Specialization Program (http://www.mlanet.org/education/chc/index.html).

Greater Midwest Region

Samanthi Hewakapuge, Consumer Health Coordinator, samanthi@uic.edu, 312-996-7791

Midcontinental Region

Dana Abbey, Consumer Health and Colorado Liaison, dana.abbey@uchsc.edu, 303-315-4875

Siobhan Champ-Blackwell, Community Outreach Liaison, siobhan@creighton.edu, 402-280-4156

Barbara Jones, Network Membership and Missouri Liaison, jonesbarb@health.missouri.edu, 573-884-5042

Marty Magee, Nebraska and Education Liaison, mmagee@unmc.edu, 402-559-7076

Middle Atlantic Region

Arpita Bose, Acting Associate Director; Outreach and Communications Coordinator, arpita.bose@med.nyu.edu, 212-263-4176

Sue Hunter, Planning & Evaluation Coordinator, sue.hunter@med.nyu.edu, 212-263-4179

New England Region

Michelle Eberle, Consumer Health Information Coordinator, Michelle.Eberle@umassmed.edu, 508-856-2435

Pacific Northwest Region

Maryanne Blake, Outreach/Evaluation Coordinator, blakema@u.washington.edu, 206-221-3405

Nikki Dettmar, Acting Education and Assessment Coordinator, snydern@u.washington.edu, 206-543-3409

Gail Kouame, Consumer Health Coordinator, gmarie@u.washington.edu, 206-221-3449

Linda Milgrom, Outreach Coordinator, lmilgrom@u.washington.edu, 206-221-3400

Pacific Southwest Region

Kay Deeney, Education Coordinator, kdeeney@library.ucla.edu, 310-206-0525

Kelli Ham, Consumer Health Coordinator, kkham@library.ucla.edu, 310-825-1984

South Central Region

Karen Vargas, Consumer Health Outreach Coordinator, karen.vargas@exch.library.tmc.edu, 713-799-7198

Southeastern Atlantic Region

Terri Ottosen, Consumer Health Coordinator, tottosen@hshsl.umaryland.edu, 410-706-2855

Sheila Snow-Croft, Outreach Education Coordinator, ssnowcro@hshsl.umaryland.edu, 410-706-2855

Toni Yancey, Outreach Exhibits Coordinator, tyancey@hshsl.umaryland.edu, 410-706-2855

Author

Jo-Ann Benedetti MA, MLS, AHIP, Manager of Information and Outreach Services at the Upper Hudson Library System in Albany, NY.