Health Information from the Web

The worldwide web can be a goldmine of information about health concerns, but only if you know how to find credible sites and separate the valuable nuggets from the hunks of coal that abound. Information on the web can help you make decisions about your own health and the health of your family, but few websites inform you of all the options. If the information you find differs from one website to another, how do you decide which sites have legitimate information and which are just using selective or even false information to persuade you to purchase products? There are no requirements for websites that purport to provide health information, so you usually are on your own in assessing their worth.

The Health Information Technology Institute (HITI) has developed seven criteria for evaluating health websites. These criteria, which are listed on the HITI Website, are credibility, content, disclosure, links, design, interactivity, and caveats (advisories).

Credibility

The most basic information you need to know about a health website is whether it is a credible or trustworthy source. First, look at the site and try to determine who sponsors it. Is the logo or name of the organization responsible for the information on the site easy to find? Are the name and credentials of the person or persons responsible for the information clearly presented? If the site is credible, this information, including address and telephone number, should be easy to find and it can help you evaluate the motivation behind the site. Can you tell if the main goal of the site is to provide information with no end sale in mind? Or, is the purpose of the site to persuade you to purchase something? You also should check to see if the information on the site is current. Look for a date when it was posted or last updated.

Content

How do you know if the content presented on the website is reliable? The site should provide information on the sources of the material presented.

A sentence about the scope of the article should be included--is it general information or does it claim to be actual medical advice you can use? If it is a controversial topic, that should be acknowledged with an explanation of why the site agrees or disagrees with a particular stance.

Disclosure

Any reliable website should include a statement regarding the mission of the sponsoring organization. This disclosure also should inform you of whether any information you provide about yourself--intentionally or unintentionally--will be kept confidential or used for some other specified purpose.

Links

Links can help you find further information on a topic. There are criteria for links that can help you navigate the web.

• Do the links seem appropriate to what is on the site? The names of the linked sites should be clear so you do not have to go to each site to see if it is relevant.
• If the links take you to sites that seem of questionable quality, then the originating site is suspect, too.
• You should be able to navigate easily within the site, and you should be informed when selecting an option or link will take you to another web page. Wherever a link takes you, you should be able to get back to the home page easily.

Design

The website should be set up so you can easily search for information both on the site and at other sites. Sites should allow you access to the information you need even if you do not have a high-speed computer or video or other multimedia capability. Websites should have selections that allow you to view the information with whatever level of capability you have on your computer.

Interactivity

A good website should ask you for feedback about the usability of the site. There also should be a way to email the sponsor to seek more information. If a contact person is identified for getting more information, their qualifications should be clearly presented.

Caveats

This final area includes information to help you understand the motives of the sponsors of the website. For example, are there items for sale or fees you may be charged for the information you access from the site?

Health information websites developed by respectable organizations should not require users to purchase a product or information to get answers. Similarly, registration--providing your name and address--should not be required to view information on the site, although it might be offered as an option for users who wish to receive email updates.

Finally, comparing information between sites can also help confirm validity. When confronted with suspicious information, compare it to the information found on respected health information sites such as the National Library of Medicine's MedLinePlus (www.medlineplus.gov) or the Mayo Clinic (www.mayoclinic.com) before proceeding.

The Health on the Net Foundation has established criteria for consumers to use to evaluate Internet health information that are similar to the HITI criteria. The Foundation's Code of Conduct (HONcode) includes eight criteria that can be helpful for evaluating "ehealth" sites. Check these websites for more information:

National Council Against Health Fraud, www.ncahf.org

QuackWatch, www.quackwatch.com

RESOURCES

This address allows you to search for HON code sites that provide reputable information on internet health: www.hon.ch/HONcode

This site allows you to answer a survey to evaluate the site that you are viewing: hitiweb.mitretek.org/iq/default.asp

This website provided by Harvard School of Public Health: www.health-insight.com/ie/index.html