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Locating Reliable Health Information Starts Here

In today’s world, information on any topic is so easily accessible that we tend to take for granted whether or not the source is credible.

In today’s world, information on any topic is so easily accessible that we tend to take for granted whether or not the source is credible. When it comes to learning more about our health, it is critical that the information we locate is both up to date and reliable. So how can we know for sure? While your doctor is always the best source of reliable medical advice, there are safe ways to do your own research. Here are some guidelines that may help you determine if you can trust the medical information you’ve found online, in books, or on television.

The internet
Books, magazines, and newspapers
Television

The internet

The internet has become a limitless source of information on all topics. However, online sources must be approached with caution, especially when the information you are seeking is related to your health. Look out for these indications that a website is reputable when looking for answers to your health-related concerns:

• The publisher of the website should be easy to find. A section titled About Us, or Contact Us, should be easily spotted. The best medical content will be published by well-known public organizations such as hospitals, medical colleges, or health charities.
• The author should be a health professional. Health information should be written, or at least reviewed, by a qualified medical professional (e.g., a physician). Take a moment to read about the author(s). Do they practice medicine or conduct research in a particular area of health care? Do they work for an established Canadian health organization?
• The site should have little to no private sponsorship or advertising. Sites that do may be trying to sell a product or push a viewpoint for reasons not related to your health. Try to determine the purpose of the website before giving it too much credit. Websites sponsored by specific food producers or pharmaceutical providers, for example, may not be the most objective source of nutrition or drug information.
• The information should be updated frequently. When consulting a website for information, look for research that it is no more than five years old. Even better, check the date on each page you visit; if it was last updated within the past two to three years, the information is likely current.
• The website should be Canadian. Because clinical practice guidelines can vary from country to country, you’ll want to stick to what is relevant to you. The information provided on a reputable Canadian site is most often based on Canadian clinical practice guidelines (see BCGuidelines as an example) that help health professionals determine appropriate treatments for their patients. To locate Canadian health information that you can trust, you can also use government websites (e.g., Health Canada or Public Health Agency of Canada). For more specific needs, professional associations (e.g., Canadian Ophthalmological Society or Canadian Dental Association) can provide you with the information you are looking for.

Books, magazines, and newspapers

Just because information is in print doesn’t mean that it is more reliable than what you might find online. Publishers print books based on what they think will sell in bookstores, not necessarily because the information presented is accurate. Similar to how you might evaluate an online source, ask yourself the following questions about the health-related books, magazines, and newspapers you are reading:

• Who are the authors? Why did they publish the material in question? Are they a credible source of medical information? A journalist with health interests, for example, does not have enough expertise to tell you about your health, a medical condition, or treatment options. Get online and perform a search on the authors. Have they been published by well-known magazines or newspapers? Do they have a background in this area of health? How long have they been writing about health topics, and what type of health stories do they usually report on?
• Is the reporting biased? Does it have scientific merit? Newspaper reports may contain valuable information, but they are typically selected based on reader interest rather than scientific value. Medical studies will often make headlines, but the results may not yet have been confirmed by other members of the scientific community. Some may even contradict earlier ones (e.g., drinking wine may be good for you vs. no health benefits to drinking wine at all) or may only apply to specific subsets of the population. Make sure to read all the way to the end of the piece. Important details about how the study was performed or who it applies to, often not mentioned until the end, might help you better decide if the information is relevant to you.

Television

Sometimes the most controversial types of medicine are featured on television simply because it is unusual and likely to keep an audience interested. If you’ve tuned in to this type of news report or talk show, keep in mind the following:

• In most cases, news stations report on general health. Most TV news stations are not well equipped to rigorously evaluate the reliability of a medical news story. They may provide information that is interesting without having investigated how factual it is. So consider television news reports as a starting point to doing more research on your own. Also, were doctors being interviewed? Is the topic within their field of practice? Are credible organizations mentioned?
• Short stories don’t represent sound advice. TV news reports and medical talk shows with five-minute segments may be too short to accurately present all of the background information needed to evaluate the credibility of a particular study. Did the study use the proper scientific methods? Were the results found in humans or was the study conducted on animals? Most importantly, have the study’s findings been confirmed by other scientists? A fact that is often overlooked in the coverage of some cutting-edge medical studies is that results should always be confirmed through multiple tests or studies.
• An infomercial’s main purpose is to sell a product. Medical information presented in an infomercial is rarely unbiased. These shows are focused on making a sale, and are skilled at presenting a product or service in a favourable way. Be wary of promises that sound too good to be true; do more research and consult your doctor before making any health-related changes to your lifestyle.
• If the information is accurate, you’ll be able to find it elsewhere. Individuals or organizations that are promoting faulty medical advice will try to convince you that their medical idea is new, revolutionary, or controversial, and is soon to be embraced by the mainstream medical community. Do not take such claims as evidence that the information is valid. Other reputable sources or websites will be presenting the same information if it is, in fact, correct. The medical community has everything to gain by accepting new science that works. If the idea has been rejected by most doctors and scientists, be skeptical.

While your doctor should remain your first source of medical information, he may not always be there to answer your questions the moment you need to know. When you seek out health information on the internet, in printed media, or on television, make sure to ask yourself the right questions to assess the reliability of each source. The truth is out there; you just have to know how to find it!

Key Websites:

• Health Canada
• Public Health Agency of Canada
• World Health Organization: Finding reliable health and medical information on the internet

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References