Evaluating Health Information on the Internet A Class for Consumers Deborah Farber Libr 220 November 20, 2004

Why A Class On Evaluating Health Resources Online? The explosion of health information available on the Internet Conflicting health information and dubious claims To help you find reliable, accurate, current health information fast

What You’ll Learn In This Course: Types of health care resources available on the Internet How to recognize reliable health information and spot questionable advice Which health websites are best Where to find health information Recognize the pitfalls of search engines

Types of Resources Government-sponsored websites =.gov Non-profit organizations and groups =.org Commercial businesses and companies =.com Educational institutions and organizations =.edu

Government – Sponsored Websites Medline Plus Health Finder Centers for Disease Control and Prevention State and county health agencies

Non-Profit Organizations American Cancer Society American Medical Association American Academy of Pediatrics State and county medical associations Hospitals and libraries Private health organizations

Commercial Businesses and Companies Healthcare management and insurance companies Kaiser Permanente Blue Shield Well Point Information and news producers Webmd Intellihealth News organizations (CNN, CBS, NBC) Pharmaceutical companies Pfizer Merck GlaxoSmithKline

Educational Institutions University medical schools Johns Hopkins Harvard USC Research centers Mayo Clinic City of Hope Academic medical centers UCLA Cedars-Sinai

What Kinds of Health Information Do These Resources Provide? Tips for general wellness and health Drug and nutritional supplement information Information about conditions, diseases and disorders Support groups and organizations Current healthcare research, advisories and warnings Online pharmacies and drug stores

How Do I Find The Information? Search engines Google Yahoo Directories Open Directory Project Health Web Links from other organizations Libraries Schools Hospitals and medical centers Medical organizations Government agencies

Pitfalls of Search Engines Sponsored results Paid advertisements Paid placement in search results Favor commercial businesses and organizations Receive revenues from advertisers and sponsors Easiest to remember and recognize Difficult to eliminate irrelevant items from search results Time consuming to locate needed information Pages found are not checked for accuracy, bias and may not be current Pages may become unavailable without notice

Recognizing Reliable Health Information Written and/or edited by healthcare professionals Clearly stated purpose Easy to identify the source of information Regularly updated Consistently available Editorial and selection policies available Accurate Backed by scientific evidence, not opinion

When To Use Caution Site offers claims that seem “too good to be true” Offers quick fix Touted as a “medical breakthrough” Site requires subscription or registration to access information Contains outdated information Demonstrates clear bias

General Health & Wellness Family Doctor Health Finder Net Wellness American Medical Association

Drugs & Supplements Medline Plus Merck Manual of Medical Information, Second Home Edition Intellihealth

Conditions, Diseases & Disorders Centers for Disease Control & Prevention Mayo Clinic Web MD City of Hope

Support Groups and Organizations Alzheimer’s Association Arthritis Foundation American Cancer Society American Heart Association

Conclusion Many different types of Resources Provide advice for improve general wellness, understand a variety of illness, find organizations and groups that provide support, advocacy and research Can be found through search engines, directories and other organizations Health information should be current, accurate, unbiased, supported by research, and written by health care professionals Avoid websites that promise miracle cures or seem outdated

Additional Resources American Academy of Pediatrics: information about children’s health First Gov for Consumers: a directory of websites related to general wellness, prescription drugs, women’s health, travel health, and mental health Kidshealth.org: comprehensive guide to health, nutrition, fitness written in kid-friendly language. Medical Library Association: annotated list of consumer health websites and recommended sites for Cancer, Diabetes and Heart Disease National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: consumer guide to alternative therapies, supplements, and finding practitioners

Bibliography AARP (March 17, 2003). Finding good health information online. Retrieved September 7, 2004 from wwwhealth.html wwwhealth.html Federal Trade Commission (n.d.). Health claims on the internet: buyer beware. Retrieved September 7, 2004 from Guzman, P. and Kukes, M. Ten tried-and-true health websites: where to get clear information on maladies from canker sores to cancer. Real Simple, 4, 18, 135. Harvard School of Public Health Center for Risk Analysis (n.d.). Health insight: taking charge of health information. Retrieved November 17, 2004 from Medline Plus (n.d.). Medline Plus guide to healthy web surfing. Retrieved September 7, 2004 from