According to the Pew Research Center, in 2013 nearly 60 percent of Americans searched online for health information. That number has likely increased in recent years as access to online information and the sheer amount of medical information available have increased.
Some of the health information you get from newspapers, magazines, books, TV, the Internet, and social media is up to date and trustworthy. But some is not. That's why it's important to evaluate health information for yourself https://medlineplus.gov/evaluatinghealthinformation.html#
While it’s possible to find reliable health information online, you'll probably need some tools to help evaluate that information to make sure it's credible!
This guide was created to help you navigate online health information while providing credible starting points to help answer your questions.
Remember: Any person or organization can create a website. It’s up to you to figure out what is factual.
Where should you go for trustworthy information?
YOUR DOCTOR
A positive relationship with your doctor is associated with greater satisfaction, better overall health, and lower hospital and emergency use.
YOUR PHARMACIST
Pharmacists are experts on medication. Talking to a pharmacist can help you understand when to take your medication, dosing, side effects, and what to do if you miss a dose.
WEBSITES YOU CAN TRUST
If you’re looking for a dependable online resource you can trust, The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is a good place to start. Also MedlinePlus.gov is a website from the NIH’s National Library of Medicine. It also has dependable consumer information about more than 1,000 health-related topics. For more information about how to evaluate health information online, use their online tutorial.
Evaluating Health Information Checklist
- Evaluating Internet Health Information Checklist
This great checklist from MedLine Plus can help you remember what to look for when you look at health information.
This guide and tablet were provided courtesy of the Capital District Library Council and the Network of National Library of Medicine, Region 7 through grant No.2 UG4LM012348-06 of the National Library of Medicine. This project aims to provide easy access to high-quality online health information.
The information found in this guide was curated by Capital District Library Council librarians in 2022 and will be updated on a regular basis.