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EvaluatingHealthInfoWebsitesPlease note that the websites will be reviewed on a 0-5 star rating system based on the number of factors that the website contains. These 10 factors are listed below.sA User's Guide to Finding and Evaluating
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Introduction
Millions of Americans search for health information on the Web every year. Whether the health information is needed for personal reasons or for a loved one, millions of health-related Web pages are viewed by millions of consumers. Sometimes the information found is just what was needed. Other searches end in frustration or retrieval of inaccurate, even dangerous, information.
This guide outlines the collective wisdom of medical librarians who surf the Web every day to discover quality information in support of clinical and scientific decision making by doctors, scientists, and other health practitioners responsible for the nation's health. This guide is supported by the Medical Library Association (MLA), the library organization whose primary purpose is promoting quality information for improved health and whose members were the first to realize that not all health information on the Web is credible, timely, or safe.
The guide is presented in three brief sections. The first section, "Getting Started," provides tips on filtering the millions of health-related Web pages through the health subsets of major search engines and using quality electronic finding tools developed by the U.S. government to do an initial screen of Websites for further examination. This section is followed by a set of guidelines developed for evaluating the content of health-related Websites. The final section provides additional information of interest to consumers searching for health-related information on the Web.
Getting Started
As many people have discovered, clicking on a favorite search engine and entering a disease or medical condition can often result in hundreds, even thousands, of "hits." This can be discouraging. Here are a few ideas for filtering the available Web pages to a manageable number:
1. If you are using a search engine such as Google or Yahoo, take advantage of the health subsets of these services for your search. Learn how to use the advanced searching features of the sites so that you can combine terms to make your retrieval more precise. For example, entering the term "cancer" and "chemotherapy" linked together is more powerful and precise than trying to read through all the hits found by simply entering the general term "cancer."
2. Become familiar with the general health information finding tools such as MEDLINEPIus (http://www.medlineplus.gov), produced by the National Library of Medicine, or Healthfinder ® (http://www.healthfinder.gov) from the US Department of Health and Human Services, which can get you started by pointing you to good, credible health information quickly. The Medical Library Association's "Top Ten" list (see below) is another device to help you start your search with a highly selective list of quality health information sites trusted by medical librarians,
3. When you have found sites that look relevant, use the guidelines below to help you decide whether the information is as credible, timely, and useful as it looks.
10 Things To Know About
Evaluating Medical Resources on the Web
sOn this page
- Introduction
- Who runs this
site?
- Who pays for the
site?
- What is the purpose of
the site?
- Where does the
information come from?
- What is the basis of the
information?
- How is the information
selected?
- How current is the
information?
- How does the site choose
links to other sites?
- What information about
you does the site collect, and why?
- How does the site
manage interactions with visitors?
Introduction
The number of Web sites offering health-related resources grows every day.
Many sites provide valuable information, while others may have information that
is unreliable or misleading. This short guide contains important questions you
should consider as you look for health information online. Answering these
questions when you visit a new site will help you evaluate the information you
find.
1. Who runs this site?
Any good health-related Web site should make it easy for you to learn who is
responsible for the site and its information. On this site, for example, the
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) is clearly
marked on every major page of the site, along with a link to the NCCAM
homepage.
2. Who pays for the site?
It costs money to run a Web site. The source of a Web site's funding should
be clearly stated or readily apparent. For example, Web addresses ending in
".gov" denote a government-sponsored site. You should know how the site pays for
its existence. Does it sell advertising? Is it sponsored by a drug company? The
source of funding can affect what content is presented, how the content is
presented, and what the site owners want to accomplish on the site.
3. What is the purpose of the site?
This question is related to who runs and pays for the site. An "About This
Site" link appears on many sites; if it's there, use it. The purpose of the site
should be clearly stated and should help you evaluate the trustworthiness of the
information.
4. Where does the information come from?
Many health/medical sites post information collected from other Web sites or
sources. If the person or organization in charge of the site did not create the
information, the original source should be clearly labeled.
5. What is the basis of the information?
In addition to identifying who wrote the material you are reading, the site
should describe the evidence that the material is based on. Medical facts and
figures should have references (such as to articles in medical journals). Also,
opinions or advice should be clearly set apart from information that is
"evidence-based" (that is, based on research results).
6. How is the information selected?
Is there an editorial board? Do people with excellent professional and
scientific qualifications review the material before it is posted?
7. How current is the information?
Web sites should be reviewed and updated on a regular basis. It is
particularly important that medical information be current. The most recent
update or review date should be clearly posted. Even if the information has not
changed, you want to know whether the site owners have reviewed it recently to
ensure that it is still valid.
8. How does the site choose links to other sites?
Web sites usually have a policy about how they establish links to other
sites. Some medical sites take a conservative approach and don't link to any
other sites. Some link to any site that asks, or pays, for a link. Others only
link to sites that have met certain criteria.
9. What information about you does the site collect, and why?
Web sites routinely track the paths visitors take through their sites to
determine what pages are being used. However, many health Web sites ask you to
"subscribe" or "become a member." In some cases, this may be so that they can
collect a user fee or select information for you that is relevant to your
concerns. In all cases, this will give the site personal information about
you.
Any credible health site asking for this kind of information should tell you
exactly what they will and will not do with it. Many commercial sites sell
"aggregate" (collected) data about their users to other companies--information
such as what percentage of their users are women with breast cancer, for
example. In some cases they may collect and reuse information that is
"personally identifiable," such as your ZIP code, gender, and birth date. Be
certain that you read and understand any privacy policy or similar language on
the site, and don't sign up for anything that you are not sure you fully
understand.
10. How does the site manage interactions with visitors?
There should always be a way for you to contact the site owner if you run
across problems or have questions or feedback. If the site hosts chat rooms or
other online discussion areas, it should tell visitors what the terms of using
this service are. Is it moderated? If so, by whom, and why? It is always a good
idea to spend time reading the discussion without joining in, so that you feel
comfortable with the environment before becoming a participant.
1. Authoritative
Indicate the qualifications of the authors
Any medical or health
advice provided and hosted on this site will only be given by medically trained
and qualified professionals unless a clear statement is made that a piece of
advice offered is from a non-medically qualified individual or organisation.
2. Complementarity
Information should support, not replace, the doctor-patient relationship
The information provided on this site is
designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a
patient/site visitor and his/her existing physician.
3. Privacy
Respect the privacy and confidentiality of personal data submitted to the
site by the visitor
Confidentiality of data
relating to individual patients and visitors to a medical/health Web site,
including their identity, is respected by this Web site. The Web site owners
undertake to honour or exceed the legal requirements of medical/health
information privacy that apply in the country and state where the Web site and
mirror sites are located.
4. Attribution
Cite the source(s) of published information, date and medical and health
pages
Where appropriate,
information contained on this site will be supported by clear references to
source data and, where possible, have specific HTML links to that data. The date
when a clinical page was last modified will be clearly displayed (e.g. at the
bottom of the page).
5. Justifiability
Site must back up claims relating to benefits and performance
Any claims relating to
the benefits/performance of a specific treatment, commercial product or service
will be supported by appropriate, balanced evidence in the manner outlined above
in Principle 4.
6. Transparency
Accessible presentation, accurate email contact
The designers of this
Web site will seek to provide information in the clearest possible manner and
provide contact addresses for visitors that seek further information or support.
The Webmaster will display his/her E-mail address clearly throughout the Web
site.
7. Financial disclosure
Identify funding sources
Support for this Web
site will be clearly identified, including the identities of commercial and
non-commercial organisations that have contributed funding, services or material
for the site.
8. Advertising policy
Clearly distinguish advertising from editorial content
10 Things To Know About Evaluating Medical Resources on the Web
sOn this page
- Introduction
- Who runs this site?
- Who pays for the site?
- What is the purpose of the site?
- Where does the information come from?
- What is the basis of the information?
- How is the information selected?
- How current is the information?
- How does the site choose links to other sites?
- What information about you does the site collect, and why?
- How does the site manage interactions with visitors?
Introduction
The number of Web sites offering health-related resources grows every day. Many sites provide valuable information, while others may have information that is unreliable or misleading. This short guide contains important questions you should consider as you look for health information online. Answering these questions when you visit a new site will help you evaluate the information you find.
1. Who runs this site?
Any good health-related Web site should make it easy for you to learn who is responsible for the site and its information. On this site, for example, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) is clearly marked on every major page of the site, along with a link to the NCCAM homepage.
2. Who pays for the site?
It costs money to run a Web site. The source of a Web site's funding should be clearly stated or readily apparent. For example, Web addresses ending in ".gov" denote a government-sponsored site. You should know how the site pays for its existence. Does it sell advertising? Is it sponsored by a drug company? The source of funding can affect what content is presented, how the content is presented, and what the site owners want to accomplish on the site.
3. What is the purpose of the site?
This question is related to who runs and pays for the site. An "About This Site" link appears on many sites; if it's there, use it. The purpose of the site should be clearly stated and should help you evaluate the trustworthiness of the information.
4. Where does the information come from?
Many health/medical sites post information collected from other Web sites or sources. If the person or organization in charge of the site did not create the information, the original source should be clearly labeled.
5. What is the basis of the information?
In addition to identifying who wrote the material you are reading, the site should describe the evidence that the material is based on. Medical facts and figures should have references (such as to articles in medical journals). Also, opinions or advice should be clearly set apart from information that is "evidence-based" (that is, based on research results).
6. How is the information selected?
Is there an editorial board? Do people with excellent professional and scientific qualifications review the material before it is posted?
7. How current is the information?
Web sites should be reviewed and updated on a regular basis. It is particularly important that medical information be current. The most recent update or review date should be clearly posted. Even if the information has not changed, you want to know whether the site owners have reviewed it recently to ensure that it is still valid.
8. How does the site choose links to other sites?
Web sites usually have a policy about how they establish links to other sites. Some medical sites take a conservative approach and don't link to any other sites. Some link to any site that asks, or pays, for a link. Others only link to sites that have met certain criteria.
9. What information about you does the site collect, and why?
Web sites routinely track the paths visitors take through their sites to determine what pages are being used. However, many health Web sites ask you to "subscribe" or "become a member." In some cases, this may be so that they can collect a user fee or select information for you that is relevant to your concerns. In all cases, this will give the site personal information about you.
Any credible health site asking for this kind of information should tell you exactly what they will and will not do with it. Many commercial sites sell "aggregate" (collected) data about their users to other companies--information such as what percentage of their users are women with breast cancer, for example. In some cases they may collect and reuse information that is "personally identifiable," such as your ZIP code, gender, and birth date. Be certain that you read and understand any privacy policy or similar language on the site, and don't sign up for anything that you are not sure you fully understand.
10. How does the site manage interactions with visitors?
There should always be a way for you to contact the site owner if you run across problems or have questions or feedback. If the site hosts chat rooms or other online discussion areas, it should tell visitors what the terms of using this service are. Is it moderated? If so, by whom, and why? It is always a good idea to spend time reading the discussion without joining in, so that you feel comfortable with the environment before becoming a participant.
1. Authoritative
ChronicPainHub.com
"Get Knowledge, Get Tools, Get Active"
Kirkland, WA
Phone: 425-820-2600
Disclaimer:
This site is being offered as a service and is not a substitute
for medical advice. We make no guarantees of the completeness
or accuracy of any information provided.
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