You can find information on almost any health topic or
condition by searching the Internet. The problem is how to
distinguish credible health information from not-so-credible
information. How do you know if the intent behind a Web
site is to sell a product or to help educate and inform the
reader? This is the challenge that many of us face when we
use the Internet to research a health-related topic.
To help you recognize material that addresses your
needs, we’ve listed some tips to help you find quality
sources of health information on the Internet.
- Note the source. This is as true for the Internet as any other medium of information distribution. You should know who sponsors the site and writes the articles to ensure that you understand the motives for providing the information.
- Get the latest information. You want current information, so look for dates associated with the studies or data provided. If a Web site contains outdated information or it doesn’t list when the study or research was done, keep looking.
- Focus on sites that seek to inform, not sell. This means looking for sites that end in .gov, .edu or .org. Those three-letter endings indicate that the site is sponsored by the government, a university or a nonprofit organization. Here are a few sites we recommend for general health information:
- For information on newly approved drugs, check out the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Web site at www.fda.gov/cder/drug.
- For information on ongoing clinical trials, go to www.clinicaltrials.gov.
- For Spanish-language health information (por informacion de salud en español), go to www.noah-health.org.
If an Internet search is too confusing or time-consuming
for you, Dean Health System offers Health Resource
Centers to its patients. This free service conducts the
research for you and leads you to the appropriate
resources and Web sites. If you do not have Internet
access, we can send you printed information. You can
reach the Dean Health Resource Centers at 608-824-4413
or by e-mail at dhrc@deancare.com.
The Internet has a lot of valuable information; you just
need to know where to look!
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