Health Websites, Reliable or Not?

With the ever increasing body of technology at our finger tips, accessing information is easier than ever before. We can turn to sites like YouTube to watch funny videos for entertainment, or even to learn new skills from how to videos. Keeping in touch with friends and family through social media apps and websites is also a new way to stay connected. The use of technology in the health care system is also advancing, and we can look up medications, research diseases, treatment options, and even try to self diagnose your symptoms. In 2010 a survey showed that the in the United States, 75% of adults use the Internet, and more than 50% of those used it to look up health related information. With everyone relying on information they find, how can we be sure the information is accurate.

When looking at websites, it is important to assess its credibility before relying on the information they present. One way to do this is to check with your Health care provider as they may have already assessed some quality websites for their patients that they trust. If this is not an option however, assessing the website yourself can also be done. There are 5 C’s to look for when assessing a website, which include: Credibility, Currency, Content, Construction, and Clarity. Credibility refers to the person or organization who created the site, more specifically, what are their qualifications to telling you the information. Currency means to check the date the information was last updated to ensure its up to date. Content relates to ensuring the information on the site is relevant to what you are looking for. Construction is how well the site is created and organization of the information. Last but not least, Clarity is how well the information is presented and if it is easily understood.

Websites ending in .gov, .edu, or .org are usually good sources of information, but here is a list of websites that I have found:

Mayo Clinic www.mayoclinic.org

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention www.CDC.gov

National Cancer Institute www.cancer.gov

Medline Plus www.medlineplus.gov

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services www.cms.gov

Kids Health www.kidshealth.org

References

Alexander, S., Frith, K. H., & Hoy, H. (2019). Applied Clinical Informatics for Nurses (2nd ed.). Burlington, Massachusetts: Jones and Bartlett Learning.