How is the information selected and reviewed to make sure it's accurate?Ĭheck the 'About Us' page to see if the site has:.

To evaluate the quality of a website's information, ask: Those could be signs of a health fraud scam. So, beware of dramatic writing, promises of cures, and claims that sound too good to be true.

It gives you balanced facts based on research. Is the health information high quality? Good health information doesn't promote one treatment over another.If a business pays for the site, the health information may favor that business and its products.Watch out for ads designed to look like neutral health information. If the site is funded by ads, they should be clearly marked as advertisements.Promote the opinions of a person or group?Ī trustworthy website has one goal: To give you good information.What's the purpose of the site? Is it to:.For example, the American College of Cardiology (a professional organization) and the American Heart Association (a nonprofit) and are both reliable sources of information on heart health. Large professional or nonprofit organizations.In general, you'll find good health information on websites run by: Who runs the site? Can you trust them to provide balanced, accurate information? Trustworthy sites provide a way to contact the owners with questions or feedback.If you can't find information about who runs the website, the site may not be trustworthy, and their health information may be unreliable. You can usually find most of the answers on the site's 'About Us' page. How can I evaluate health information on the Internet?Īsking a few questions will help you decide if you can trust a website. You may have found good information, but your provider can tell you whether it's good for you. Discuss the information you find with your health care provider before you rely on it.

Ask questions before you trust what you read or hear.

That's why it's important to evaluate health information for yourself.īut how can you tell the good from the bad? There are two key steps: Some of the health information you get from newspapers, magazines, books, TV, the Internet, and social media is up to date and trustworthy. But finding reliable health information takes a little effort. Why do I need to evaluate health information?

Unreliable websites for research