Evaluating Health Information on the Web
Anna Huber
Emporia State University
Tuality HealthCare
Why evaluate web sources?
Best to go to sites that we know are accurate & reliable
Web sites are unregulated: Anyone can post anything
The web is not a substitute for print sources or a healthcare provider
Accuracy
Is the information medically sound? Is there cited sources? Are the sources
authoritative? Are there gross errors (grammatical,
spelling)? Example: Male Pregnancy
Authority
Can you determine authorship? Are their qualifications/credentials listed? Affiliations Is there contact information on the site? What is the domain name? Example: CureZone
Bias
Is the information one sided? Who sponsors the site? Are the sponsors
clearly listed? Is there advertising on the site? Is it clearly
marked? Is the site INFLAMATORYINFLAMATORY!!!!???? Example: Think Twice
Currency
Is the information clearly outdated?
Is there a date of publishing? update?
Are there links provided? Are they current?
Is the site well designed? Easy to use?
Coverage and Scope
What is the purpose of the site?
What is the intended audience?
Are there more authoritative source available? Perhaps in another format?
Example: The Facts about Tourette Syndrome
Review
Accuracy Authority Bias Currency Coverage
What do you think?
Is this a reputable site? Drugs.com
How about this? DHMO – The Truth
Or this one? Dercum’s Disease The Doctor’s Medical Library
Resources
Quackwatch Healthfinder MedlinePlus: Health Freud Mythbuster Health on the Net Foundation
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