Crandall Health Information

The ABC’s of Evaluating Online Consumer Health Information 

Accurate? Bias? Complete? Date? Expert? Function?  

With so much information available on the Internet it can be difficult to find quality health websites.  Here are some questions to think about when you are searching online.  If you need help, ask your librarian. Remember, the Internet does not replace your health care provider.   

Accurate? 

• Can the information be verified?
• Is it clear who provides the information?

Ask yourself “Is the information true? Is it based on research? How can I find out?” Look for websites that tell you where their information is from, such as medical journals. See if the site tells you how they decide what information to post. Just because you read something on the Internet doesn’t mean it’s true. 

Bias? 

• Is the site biased?
• Is the site supported by advertising?

Ask yourself “Am I getting both sides of the issue?” Opinions are different from facts and they should be clearly stated as opinions.  “Are they trying to sell me something?” A quality health site will not disguise advertising as facts. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.  

Complete? 

• Does the site tell the whole story?
• Are all aspects of the topic being covered?
• Does the site provide further resources?

Ask yourself “Am I getting the whole picture? Does it seem like something has been left out?” Look for sites that cover topics completely. Check to see if the site provides further resources. 

Date? 

• Is the information up to date?
• When was the site last updated?
• Do the links work?   

Ask yourself “How current is the information?” Medical information changes quickly. Always look to see when the page was last updated. Links can change frequently, too.  Good websites keep their links up to date. 

Expert? 

• Who is responsible for the site?
• What are the author’s qualifications? Are they clearly stated?
• Is the information published by a doctor? Is the doctor an MD? (Check AMA’ s Physician Select  or the ABMS Directory in the library)

Ask yourself “Is this person qualified to give medical advice?” Look for sites that give the author’s education or training. Good websites will have contact information that is easy to find and will include a phone number, postal and email addresses.  

Function? 

• Why is this site here?
• What is its purpose?

Ask yourself “Is the purpose of this site clear?” Knowing the purpose (business, educational, personal, etc.) will help you determine how much of the information you can trust. Company websites and personal pages can be good sources of information as long as their intentions are clearly stated.    

What’s the easy way?

• Start with websites that are known to be reputable. The ones listed on our web page are safe for starting out.

• Be cautious of information you find. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

• Check with your doctor. Never follow any medical advice on the web without first checking with your healthcare provider.

*** Information provided by Crandall Public Library and its employees has been gathered from a variety of consumer health resources. This information should not be interpreted as medical or professional advice. All medical information should be reviewed with your physician or other health care professional. ***