How to Evaluate Health Information Found on the Internet
- 1). Go to different sources. This addresses more than one problem. The first is credibility. If it's basic information you're after, just collect five or six different sources and compare them. If one says 48 while the other five are in the 22-24 range, you can bank on the lower range as the more accurate statistic. It also covers the vagueness of a one-source approach. With so many Web articles providing minimal information, you often have to combine sources to get a detailed or overall picture of a situation or item.
- 2). Look for in-depth information. Make sure you get well-charted statistical support, references to legitimate medical institutions and educational resources that provide comprehensive information.
- 3). Look at the author's credentials or affiliations. It adds credibility if the author is a physician or clinical care specialist or affiliated with a credible medical organization. If the information you see is not backed up by other sources, the credentials and experience of your source is critical.
- 4). Evaluate the Web site. Lots of times, you can do a "gut-check" on Web information by looking at who is funding or supporting the site and how it is being maintained. The best sites are part of online "medical communities" at the forefront of care across America. With just a few moments of observation, you can almost always tell one of these sites apart from a single-source, independently run site.
- 5). Rely on the advice of your physician. Do not take Internet information over your own doctor's word. First, the validity of an Internet source is never 100 percent proven, and secondly, every patient's needs are different. You doctor knows the most about yours, which is why every American is encouraged to get a family doctor and continue regular visits rather than switching around to different practitioners each year.
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