What does the latest study, the
flashiest ad or the scariest headline really mean? If there is one subject Americans can’t seem to get
enough of, it’s health information.
“Web sites devoted to health care are
among the most popular sites on the
Internet,” says Eugene Sun, M.D.
“Everywhere you turn, there is information
about every known topic related to good
health.”
Smart Business spoke to Sun about how
to sort out the good information from the
bad on the Web.
What are some precautions we should take
when evaluating medical information from
the Internet?
Knowledge is a good thing, but you have
to be careful. As you bounce from Web
page to Web page, be sure to check who is
in charge of the site. You might start on a
reputable page, but a link might take you to
a site run by someone with a very different
agenda.
How can we tell if a report or health care
study is reliable?
Check where the study was published.
The most reliable studies are found in peer-reviewed clinical journals, such as The
Journal of the American Medical
Association or The New England Journal
of Medicine. Also, find out if a company
that could benefit from the results funded
the study. That’s not always a warning sign,
but it can be.
What are some examples of reliable sources
on the Internet?
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration
recommends sites that end in ‘.gov.’ They
are sponsored by the federal government,
like the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services (www.hhs.gov), the FDA
(www.fda.gov), and the National Institutes
of Health (www.nih.gov), to name a few.
Look for ‘.edu’ sites, which are run by universities or medical schools, such as Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, or
maintained by other health care facility
sites, like the Mayo Clinic and Cleveland
Clinic.
Other reliable sources are ‘.org’ sites
maintained by not-for-profit groups whose
focus is research and teaching the public
about specific conditions, such as the
American Diabetes Association, the
American Cancer Society, and the
American Heart Association.
Be aware that sites whose addresses end
in ‘.com’ are usually commercial sites and
are often selling products or services.
What other types of things should we be
checking with the sites?
MedlinePlus (medlineplus.gov) is an
excellent place to start on the Internet. It is
a service of the National Library of
Medicine (NLM) and the National
Institutes of Health (NIH). MedlinePlus
offers high-quality information on more
than 700 diseases and conditions. It does
not advertise nor endorse any company or
product on its site. I recommend referring
to the following checklist from
MedlinePlus to avoid unreliable health
information when you’re surfing the Web.
Be a cyber skeptic. Does the site make health claims that seem too good to be
true? Does it promise quick, dramatic,
miraculous results? Beware of claims of a
‘breakthrough’ or one remedy to cure a
variety of illnesses. Ask your personal
physician for an opinion.
Check for currency. Is the information
current? Look for dates on documents.
Click on a few links on the site. If there are
a lot of broken links, the site may not be
kept up-to-date.
Beware of bias. Who pays for the site?
Consider how that might affect the information offered. Be cautious of sites that do
not identify their affiliation, perspective or
source of information.
Protect your privacy. Health information should be confidential. Does the site
have a ‘Privacy Policy’ link? Does it tell you
what information is collected? If it states
‘We share information with companies that
can provide you with useful products,’ then
your information isn’t private.
Consult with your health professional. Information that you find on a Web site
does not replace your doctor’s advice.
Patient/provider partnerships lead to the
best medical decisions. Review the information with a health care provider who
knows you, and can help you put what you
have learned into perspective. And never
change anything about your health care
unless your doctor says it’s OK.
For more information, check out
MedlinePlus’s Web site at
www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/heal
thywebsurfing.html.
EUGENE SUN, M.D., M.B.A., vice president of medical affairs
for HealthAmerica and HealthAssurance. Reach him at (412) 553-7385.
