Evaluating Consumer Health Web Sites

From time to time I like to repeat posts that I think are important in case you missed them the first time around.  A while back I posted information on evaluating health web sites.  I think it is important to repeat that from time to time to remind everyone of the importance of making sure the information is authoritative and up-to-date.  Here is some helpful information on how to evaluate health web sites:

Since it is possible for virtually anyone to post information on a web page, it is important to evaluate the information you find. Here are some points to look at when evaluating health sites:

1. Who developed this site? Is an author clearly identified? Are the credentials of the author listed?

It is always best to seek information from a “known quantity”. Find out as much as you can about the author or organization posting the health information. This may be expressed in listed credentials about the person or a description of the organization providing the site.

2. Does the page show when it was last updated? Are the links to other resources still active?

Many people have placed information on the web as a one-time effort without ever providing updated information. A date on the page will help you to assess if the information is current. Check to see if the links are current. If they aren’t, this may mean that the page hasn’t been updated.

3. Is contact information provided so that you can e-mail, call, or write the author?

Direct connection to the organization or author provides a mechanism for you to ask questions about the origin of the information on the site, and the authority of the author.

4. What is the purpose of the information?

Assess the reason for the information provided. Is the language of the article persuasive, trying to lead you to purchase something or join a program or is the information provided for informational purposes only? If the page is designed for commercial purposes, there may be conflict of interest with the information provided. It is best to stick with non-commercial sites.

5. Can the information be verified in other sources?

If a web site is not well documented, it is especially important to verify the information you find in other sources. If any questions arise about information discovered in any source, those questions should be directed back to a health care provider.

Here are some quality health web sites:

MedlinePlus from the National Library of Medicine

NOAH (New York Online Access to Health)

HealthFinder from the National Health Information Center

Finding and Evaluating Consumer Health Information on the Internet

Since my goal with this blog is to provide authoritative health information and to lead you to other Internet resources, I thought I'd repost some information I shared last year on how to find consumer health information on the Internet and how to evaluate that information.  Here is some very useful information:

Do not use Google to search about your diagnosis! Google is a great search engine, but it does not distinguish between what is good information and what is garbage. Like I said, anyone can post anything so beware! Those of you who have been reading my blog from the beginning know that I provide a lot of links from MedlinePlus, a service of the National Library of Medicine (National Institutes of Health). (I will provide links below for all web sites I mention.) MedlinePlus is probably the best place to start when you need to look up information. They have over 800 health topics with information from over 1,000 organizations, databases for drugs and supplements and much more. You can be confident that any information you find on MedlinePlus is quality information.

Other things to consider when evaluating a web site:

Who developed the web site? Is the author clearly identified? Are the credentials of the author listed? Since anyone can post information, it is vital that you check to make sure the person giving the information is qualified to give that information. If the site does not identify the author, then that information is suspect.

Does the page show when it was last updated? Are the links to other resources still active? Many people post information on the Internet having no intention of keeping it up-to-date. That's why it's important to check for a date to be sure the information is current.

Is contact information provided so that you can e-mail, call, or write the author? If there is no contact information, then it is difficult to ascertain the validity of the information and the authority of the author.

What is the purpose of the information? Assess the reason for the information provided. Are they trying to sell you something or persuade you to do something or is the information provided for informational purposes only? If the page is designed for commercial purposes only, then there may be conflict of interest with the information provided. It is best to stick with non-commercial sites.

Can the information be verified in other sources? If a web site is not well documented, it is especially important to verify the information in other sources. If you ever find a difference in the information, it is important you check with a health care provider for clarification.

Some great resources for health information:

MedlinePlus from the National Library of Medicine.

Top 100 List: Health Websites You Can Trust (from the Consumer and Patient Health Information Section of the Medical Library Association)

NOAH: New York Online Access to Health (organization composed of a number of New York City Libraries)

MedlinePlus Magazine

I frequently provide links to information from MedlinePlus from the National Library of Medicine.  Not only do they have a great web site, but they have a great magazine that has articles on all kinds of health information.  Here's a little information about the magazine:

"Our purpose is to present you with the best in reliable, up-to-date health information. We bring you the latest breakthroughs from NIH-supported research. We feature people from all walks of life talking about how they've handled their health challenges.

"Sometimes it's the famous, like Lance Armstrong, Randy Jackson or Mary Tyler Moore. But mostly, it's regular people who have turned to NIH for care and want to share their stories. Often, too, NIH scientists will write about their efforts to cure disease. Lastly, the magazine's lively graphics, fun quizzes and practical tips have been designed with your daily health in mind. "

You can check out the magazine here:  MedlinePlus Magazine

Finding Health Information on the Internet

One of my first posts when I started this blog was about how to evaluate the quality of the health information you find online. In this day and age virtually anyone can post anything on the Internet so it's important that you evaluate the information you find. Since that original post was many months ago, I thought I'd revisit the subject.

My goal with this blog is to provide links to quality information on a wide range of subjects so you don't have to wonder about the quality of the information. Over the 22 years I was a medical librarian, I gained a lot of insight and knowledge about quality health information.

Do not use Google to search about your diagnosis! Google is a great search engine, but it does not distinguish between what is good information and what is garbage. Like I said, anyone can post anything so beware! Those of you who have been reading my blog from the beginning know that I provide a lot of links from MedlinePlus, a service of the National Library of Medicine (National Institutes of Health). (I will provide links below for all web sites I mention.) MedlinePlus is probably the best place to start when you need to look up information. They have over 800 health topics with information from over 1,000 organizations, databases for drugs and supplements and much more. You can be confident that any information you find on MedlinePlus is quality information.

Other things to consider when evaluating a web site:

Who developed the web site? Is the author clearly identified? Are the credentials of the author listed? Since anyone can post information, it is vital that you check to make sure the person giving the information is qualified to give that information. If the site does not identify the author, then that information is suspect.

Does the page show when it was last updated? Are the links to other resources still active? Many people post information on the Internet having no intention of keeping it up-to-date. That's why it's important to check for a date to be sure the information is current.

Is contact information provided so that you can e-mail, call, or write the author? If there is no contact information, then it is difficult to ascertain the validity of the information and the authority of the author.

What is the purpose of the information? Assess the reason for the information provided. Are they trying to sell you something or persuade you to do something or is the information provided for informational purposes only? If the page is designed for commercial purposes only, then there may be conflict of interest with the information provided. It is best to stick with non-commercial sites.

Can the information be verified in other sources? If a web site is not well documented, it is especially important to verify the information in other sources. If you ever find a difference in the information, it is important you check with a health care provider for clarification.

Some great resources for health information:

MedlinePlus from the National Library of Medicine.

Top 100 List: Health Websites You Can Trust (from the Consumer and Patient Health Information Section of the Medical Library Association)

NOAH: New York Online Access to Health (organization composed of a number of New York City Libraries)

Anatomy Videos on MedlinePlus

MedlinePlus, from the National Library of Medicine, provides all kinds of useful health information. Among their resources are anatomy videos. These animated videos show the anatomy of body parts and organ systems and how diseases and conditions affect them. You will need a QuickTime player to view the videos. Check them out at: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/anatomyvideos.html.

Healthfinder.gov

Healthfinder.gov
Another starting point for consumers seeking reliable health information can be found at http://www.healthfinder.gov/. This site from the United States Department of Health and Human Services has resources on a wide range of health topics selected from over 1,600 government and non-profit organizations. Coordinated by the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) and its health information referral service, the National Health Information Center, this site is paid for by U.S. Government funds and does not accept paid advertisements, content or links. The information is also available in a Spanish version. The homepage of this easy-to-navigate site features several main sections, outlined below:

Quick Guide to Healthy Living
The Quick Guide to Healthy Living section focuses on important things you can do to stay healthy, such as eating a healthy diet, being active, getting recommended screenings, not smoking, and watching your weight. It offers basic, easy-to-understand information on each topic, including the benefits you’ll get from taking recommended actions and tips on how you can take action.
There’s even a customizable feature myhealthfinder, which allows you to get personalized health recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force based on age, sex, and pregnancy status.

Personal Health Tools
Personal Health Tools offers free interactive tools to help you and those you care about stay healthy. Here you’ll find:

• Online Checkups—Take a quiz to learn about your health and lifestyle. Find out if you are at risk for a disease or condition.
• Activity and Menu Planners—Use these tools to track your physical activity and diet goals.
• Health Calculators—Estimate body mass index, calorie intake, target heart rate, pregnancy due date, and more.
• Watch and Listen—Hear and see videos, podcasts, and slideshows to learn about common health and wellness topics.

Health A-Z
Browse Health A-Z topics to find hand-picked resources from government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and universities. You’ll find information on over 1,600 health-related topics from abdominal pain to facts about the dietary supplement, zinc.

Health News
healthfinder.gov offers you several ways to get health news and stay informed:
• Today’s Headlines—the latest health stories in the news.
• e-News and RSS—daily health news plus updates on new site features sent directly to your computer.
• News Archives—articles that have appeared on healthfinder.gov over the past 12 months.
• Weekly Newsletters—top news stories from 12 popular weekly health newsletters

Find Services and Information
Find Services and Information can help you find a doctor, dentist or other health provider, a health center or clinic, a public library, or health care organization in your community

Other Fun Features
Popular Requests explores the most requested searches for health information, health care services, and more.
National Health Observances information and media toolkits
Send a health E-card to a friend or loved one.
Add a health widget to your blog or website.

Healthfinder also offers tutorials on how to navigate the site and find the health information you need.

Contributed by C.A.R.