Evaluating Health Information
Source: MedlinePlus Health Topics, U.S. National Library of Medicine
Why do I need to evaluate health information? Health information is easy to find. But finding reliable health information takes a little effort. Some of the health information you get from newspapers, magazines, books, TV, the Internet, and social media is up to date and trustworthy. But some is not. That's why it's important to evaluate health information for yourself. But how can you tell the good from the bad? There are two key steps: Ask questions before you trust what you read or hear. Discuss the information you find with your health care provider before you rely on it. You may have found good information, but your provider can tell you whether it's good for you . How can I evaluate health information on the Internet? Asking a few questions will help you decide if you can trust a website. You can usually find most of the answers on the site's "About Us" page. If you can't find information about who runs the website, the site may not be trustworthy, and their health information may be unreliable. Some questions to ask are: Who runs the site? Can you trust them to provide balanced, accurate information? Trustworthy sites provide a way to contact the owners with questions or feedback. In general, you'll find good health information on websites run by: Federal government agencies. Medical schools. Large professional or nonprofit organizations. For example, the American College of Cardiology (a professional organization) and the American Heart Association (a nonprofit) and are both reliable sources of information on heart health. What's the purpose of the site? Is it to: Inform the public? Sell products or services? Promote the opinions of a person or group? A trustworthy website has one goal: To give you good information. Who pays for the site? If the site is funded by ads, they should be clearly marked as advertisements. Watch out for ads designed to look like neutral health information. If a business pays for the site, the health information may favor that busin