Finding Accurate Health Information on the Internet

When looking at Internet sites, remember that the information can be sponsored by anyone. Take into account the sponsoring organization or individual when gathering information or seeking online help. You may not agree with their point of view and the site may be presenting information that is not backed up by any scientific evidence. Also chat rooms are usually not censored or monitored, so be cautious. And, be especially careful about giving out personal or financial information.

It costs money to build and run an Internet site and the source of financial support can affect what content is presented and how that content is presented. The source of the funding should be easily identifiable and the site should provide information about the credentials of the people who prepare or review the health-related material on the site.

What’s In a Name? – Understanding the Web Address (URL)
The Web address itself can provide important information about the nature of the site and the sponsor's intent and source of funding. In the United Sates, web addresses ending in:

• .gov are federal or state government-sponsored sites, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov) or the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (www.mass.gov)

• .edu indicates an educational institution, such as Cape Cod Community College (www.capecod.edu)

• .org identifies a not-for-profit professional, scientific or research organization, such as the Community Health Center of Cape Cod (www.chcofcapecod.org)

• .com most often identifies for-profit companies, such as Pfizer, Inc., a drug manufacturing company (www.pfizer.com). Health sites sponsored by a company may be using the Internet to advertise products and/or sell products directly to consumers online. Many commercial websites have valuable and credible information but it is important to understand that sometimes the information has a bias related to the sponsor’s product – so be careful!

Five Questions to Ask About an Internet Site
Aside from who sponsors the site? Here are five other questions to ask yourself when looking at a site:

Who wrote the information?
The authors and contributors should be identified. The most reliable health information comes from research that has been carried out by government and university scientists.

Does the website have an editorial board that reviews the information?
Responsible websites will tell you where the health information came from and who has reviewed it.

How current is the information?
Reliable websites make it easy to find the date that the content was updated.

Does the website have a clearly stated privacy policy?
This is very important because, unfortunately, there is fraud on the Internet.

Does the website make claims that seem too good to be true?
Be careful if the website claims dramatic cures – if it sounds too good to be true it probably is not true. Always double-check the information on other sites that are known to be reliable.

And remember, the best source of information may be your physician or other healthcare professional.