The Internet offers a wealth of information about your health. But since anyone can post information online, there’s no guarantee that what you find is a fact rather than an opinion — or even a hoax. The next time you decide to look up information about a health concern, ask yourself these questions about the site you’re using. A little research will help you find the most reliable and helpful information.
Finding out who runs the site can give you a clue about their motives. A professional group of physicians or a nonprofit organization will have a very different reason for providing information than a drug manufacturer. Both may provide accurate information, but the information they provide may be skewed if they are trying to sell you a product. You can usually find out who is running the site from the main page. If you can’t find it there, look for a tab that says “About Us.” This area of the site should also provide you information about why this particular group has published on the Web.
Many sites on the Web use information that has been gathered from other places. If the author of the site didn’t create the content, where did it come from? You will need to check out their sources and evaluate whether they’re trustworthy. Use a search engine like Google to double check the information with other reliable sites on the Internet. If only one site says it, or if all other sites refer back to one unreliable source, you probably shouldn’t trust it.
If the author of the site did write the content or did not include sources, use what you’ve learned about their background and pay attention to the tone of the information. Is this person a medical professional? Do they present information as fact or opinion? Is their tone scientific or emotional? Even alternative medical practitioners — such as herbalists, massage therapists or acupuncturists — should have a strong educational background from an accredited program.
Look for dates to see when the information was published and if it has been updated recently. Health research frequently changes and information that was posted several years ago may not be reliable anymore.
Just as in real life, if something on the Web seems too good to be true, it probably is. Always be suspicious of sites that make sweeping claims like “This will work for everyone.” Every person’s body is different, even people who have the same health concerns.
Finally, remember that the Internet is a wonderful tool, but it can’t replace the advice of a medical professional. Use the Internet to inform yourself and write down questions to ask your doctor, but never change treatments based on what you read online. Share your research with your Riverview Health physician before making drastic changes.
Has it been a while since your last primary care appointment, or do you need a new physician? Call us at 317.565.0565 to request an appointment.
Sources: NIH.gov, NLM.NIH.gov
