Googling Your Health
It was not too long ago that the only source of medical information was your local doctor’s office or a family health encyclopaedia. Today many of us use the internet to look up symptoms, search for treatments and gain support through patient networks. The internet has become a popular source of information today because it is accessible, convenient and connects us to others.
The information available on the internet is phenomenal. Type ‘diabetes’ into Google and you get over 62 million results. Typing in ‘cancer’ and you get even more results at over 158 million. Some of this information is good, other times it is bad and sometimes outright dangerous. Anyone can publish their own insights and opinions about medical issues. So how do you become a smart researcher and find credible, reliable information and learn to ignore the phony?
Step 1: Check the Source
- Is the website from a well, known reputable organisation? Check the ‘about us’ page.
- Is the website recommended by a health professional?
- Does the website clearly state its mission and purpose? Is it designed to inform or is it designed to sell a product or persuade about a current issue?
- Who is responsible for the content? Looking at the website address can help. For example, if an address contains
.edu it is a school or university
.gov it is from the government
.org it is from a non profit organisation
.com is it from a commercial or individual’s site and as such may be more biased.
- Does the website have a way for visitors to ask questions and provide feedback? Look for a ‘contact us’ page.
- Who funds the website? Be cautious of sites funded by medical or pharmaceutical companies. Advertising should be clearly separate from health information.
- Is it a local site or an international site? If the web address ends in ‘nz’ it comes from New Zealand. You need to be aware that different countries have different terminology, recommendations and treatments.
- What are the qualifications of the person who wrote the content? Look out for details like university degrees and professional memberships in medical associations. Confirm details on another website.
Step 2: Consider the quality
- Does the look of the site suggest a professional effort?
- Is the site free from grammatical and spelling errors?
- Is the information complete and comprehensive?
Step 3: Look at the Evidence
- Does the information include different points of view?
- Is the information based on solid scientific research? Or is it an opinion only? Opinions may not necessarily by wrong, it all depends on who gives the opinion. It is important to know the different between facts and opinions when you are looking at different treatments.
- Are references and links provided to support the information and what is the strength of the evidence? Here are some tips from Harvard School of Public Health that can help you judge medical studies:
| Weaker Evidence: |
Stronger Evidence: |
| One or a few observations |
Lots of observations |
| Anecdote or a case study |
Scientific study |
| Unpublished information |
Published and reviewed by other experts |
| Not repeated |
Results are reproduced |
| Non human subjects |
Human subjects |
| No research limitations are mentioned |
Limitations are discussed |
| Results not compared to previous studies |
Results are compared to previous studies |
Step 4: Check Timeliness
- Is new information posted on a regular basis? Good websites date their content. Avoid websites that only contain old information as medical advice is often changing as new research comes to light.
- Are the links working on the site? Lots of broken links suggests it is an old site.
Step 5: Be a Cyberskeptic.
- Do the claims seem to too good or too bad to be true? If so, they probably are.
- Are there lots of testimonials on the site? Use your intuition as some testimonials are suspect.
- Is this the only site making the claims? If you can’t find the information on three other sites then you can assume the information is questionable. Always cross check information.
- Does the site use lots of emotive and sensational writing styles? For example, lots of !!!! or the use of words like ‘miracle cure’.
- Are the claims of the website based on a conspiracy theory? If so, it is best to avoid the site.
Above all, never use internet information to make a health decision without consulting your doctor – the best source of medical information and the one who understands your medical needs. The internet can falsely reassure people they are ok and create unnecessary anxiety by wrong self diagnosis. The internet cannot replace a timely doctor’s timely visit.
Where can I start searching?
www.moh.govt.nz – NZ Ministry of Health
www.everybody.co.nz – comprehensive credible site for New Zealanders
www.webhealth.co.nz - NZ health services
Do you want more information?
US National Library of Medicine includes a useful tutorial and lots of helpful links.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/evaluatinghealthinformation.html