Evaluating Health Information on the Internet

What is the Internet?

The Internet is an immeasurable store of information connecting networks of computers worldwide. The information found on the Internet, is unregulated and not always from reliable sources. Websites can often contain inaccurate and misleading information. The fact that you find information on the Internet does not make it true.

Health Information on the Internet

The Internet is a valuable resource for health information when used correctly. Online information can help you understand your illness better and enable you to work with your doctor to get the best medical care.

Evaluating the Information

It is important to evaluate the information you have found during a search on the Internet to ensure it is accurate and comes from a reliable source. When evaluating, think critically and don't accept any information at face value.

Ask yourself:

1) Who is responsible for the website

Is the information from a reliable website? Is it linked with a known institution or organisation? For example HealthInsite (www.healthinsite.gov.au) which is provided by the Australian Department of Health and Ageing can be seen as authoritative and reliable.

• Is the information written by health professionals? What are their qualifications? Is there a reputable editorial board that reviews the information? Are the claims supported by references?
• Are there contact details on the page where you can contact the publisher or make comments and ask questions? By looking at the URL (Uniform Resource Locator) and the domain, you can determine ownership and/or sponsorship of the site. A person's name in the URL may mean it is a personal site.
  URL example: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/
  (U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health)
  
  Domain may indicate:
  .gov government
  .edu educational
  .org non-profit organisation
  .com commercial

2) Is the information accurate?

• Does the site base its information on facts?
• Does it use sound scientific basis for any claims that it makes? If the information sounds unbelievable and has no evidence for its claims it probably is unreliable.
• Is there a disclaimer referring you to independent medical advice? Health information gained through the Internet is not a substitute for professional independent medical advice.

3) Is the information objective?

• Is the information presented without bias? Is it clear and well balanced in its details?
• Is there a conflict of interest such as being based on commercial interest? A web site published by a commercial organisation or business may be trying to sell a product and would be less likely to give any negative points relating to the product. Be particularly cautious if there is no evidence, but only testimonials to recommend a product or treatment!
• It is important to understand why the information is being made available and the purpose behind the site. For example HealthIncite tells us "It aims to improve the health of Australians by providing easy access to quality information about human health".

4) Is the information up-to-date?

Does the information have a date it was created? This is especially important with health information, as it is constantly changing. When was the website last updated? This will indicate if the page is being kept current or not.

5) Does the content of the site meet your needs?

• Who is the site aimed at? If the information is aimed at health care providers it may assume knowledge of medicine that you do not have.
• Is the information easy to understand? What is the scope of the information?
• Are the links reliable and relevant? Do they work?
• Does it cite other reputable sources?
• Is the site layout straightforward to use? Is it well designed? Easy to navigate? This is important for you to be able to gain the most from the site.

• Anyone can publish information on the Internet - it doesn't make it true!
• Be wary of incorrect information and false claims.
• Health information gained through the Internet is not a substitute for professional independent medical advice.