How to Evaluate Health-Related Information on the Internet

Looking for Health Information Online? Be Careful!

Millions of consumers use the Internet to get information related to their health. And thousands of websites offer health information. Some of these sites are reliable and up-to-date; some are not. How can you tell the good from the bad?

First, it's important to carefully consider the source of information and then to discuss the information you find with your health care provider. These questions and answers can help you determine whether the health information you find on the Internet or receive by email from a website is likely to be reliable.

Qs & As: Evaluating Internet Health Information

Who Runs the Website?
A reliable health-related website should make it easy for you to learn who is responsible for the site and its information. Information about who runs the site can often be found in an "About Us" or "About This Site" section, and there's usually a link to that section on the site's home page.

What Is the Purpose of the Website?
Is the purpose of the site to inform? Is it to sell you a product? Is it to raise money? If you can tell who runs and pays for the site, this will help you evaluate its purpose. Be cautious about sites trying to sell a product or service.

What Is the Source of the Information on the Website?
Always pay close attention to where the information on the site comes from. Many health and medical websites post information collected from other websites or sources. If the person or organization in charge of the site did not write the material, the original source should be clearly identified. Be careful of sites that don't say where the information comes from. Good sources of health-related information include:

Sites that end in .gov, which are sponsored by the federal government, like the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the FDA, the National Institutes of Health, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

.edu sites that are run by universities or medical schools, such as Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, health systems, and other health care facility sites, like the Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic

.org sites that are maintained by not-for-profit groups whose focus is research and teaching the public about specific diseases or conditions, such as the American Diabetes Association, the American Cancer Society, and the American Heart Association

Medical and scientific journals, such as The New England Journal of Medicine and the Journal of the American Medical Association, although these are not written for consumers and may be hard to understand for some people.

Sites whose addresses end in .com are usually commercial sites and are often selling products or have a lot of advertising. However, many commercial sites do provide excellent health information. For example, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal publish highly respected health content.

How Is the Information on the Website Documented?
In addition to identifying the original source of the material, the site should identify the evidence on which the material is based. Medical facts and figures should have references (such as citations of articles in medical journals). Also, opinions or advice should be clearly set apart from information that is based on research results.

How Is Information Reviewed Before It Is Posted on the Website?
Health-related websites should give you information about the medical credentials of the people who prepare or review the material on the site.

How Current Is the Information on the Website?
Websites should be reviewed and updated on a regular basis. It is very important that health-related information be current, and that the most recent update or review date be clearly posted. Usually, you can find these dates at the bottom of the page. Even if the information has not changed, it is helpful to know that the site owners have reviewed it recently to ensure that the information is still valid. Click on a few links on the site. Check some of the links, if a lot are broken, the site may not be kept up-to-date.

What Information About Its Users Does the Website Collect, and Why?
Many websites track the path you take through their sites to determine what pages you are using. And, many health-related websites may ask you to "subscribe" or "become a member." In some cases, this may be done so they can collect a fee or select relevant information for you. In all cases, your subscription or membership will allow the website owners to collect personal information about you!

Many commercial websites sell "aggregate" data about their visitors to other companies—what percent are women with breast cancer, for example. In some cases, they may collect and reuse information that is personally identifiable, such as your ZIP code, gender, and birth date.

Any website asking you for personal information should explain exactly what the site will and will not do with your information. The site should spell this out in its Privacy Statement. Be sure to read and understand any privacy policy or similar language on the site, and don't sign up for anything you don't fully understand.

How Does the Website Manage Interactions with You?
There should always be a way for you to contact the website owners with problems, feedback, and questions. The site should provide contact information on its “Contact Us” page. If the site hosts a chat room or other online discussion areas, it should tell you about the terms of using the service. Is the service moderated? If so, by whom, and why? It is always a good idea to spend time reading the discussion without joining in before becoming a participant.

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