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There are more and more websites dedicated to providing health information.
And as you seek information, you want to make sure you receive it from reliable
sources. How do you know if a source is reliable? Below is a list of factors
to consider as you evaluate health websites.
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Trusted Reputation
- Rely on a website that has an established
and trusted reputation. Governmental agencies, health associations, professional
organizations, and research centers are good resources. In addition, certified
health care professionals and libraries are also reliable.
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website Purpose
- Is the purpose of the website to market a product,
or is it educational? If the page is designed for commercial purposes or supported
by advertisements, there may be a conflict of interest. Be sure you understand
who the intended audience is for the information.
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Multiple Sources
- Seek medical information from several
sites and don’t rely on a single source. With each source, you have
an opportunity to learn more through different perspectives.
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Validation
- Only trust what you see or read on a website
if you can validate the source of the information. You want information from
a site that identifies the author and his/her affiliations. You need to
determine whether the author has anything to gain from proposing one viewpoint
versus another.
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Contact Information
- The website should provide contact
information including a phone number and/or email address, so you can contact
the author if you would like.
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Feedback
- The website should offer a way for you to provide
feedback to the site's owners.
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Sole Source of Information
- Be skeptical of
websites that claim to be the sole source of information on a topic.
Also be wary of websites that disrespect other sources of knowledge.
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Lots of Links
- Because a website provides a list of links
does not ensure the site is credible, nor have those websites necessarily endorsed
those links.
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Editorial Board
- The site should be professionally managed
and reviewed by an editorial board of experts to ensure that the content is
credible and reliable. Sources used to create the content should be clearly
referenced and acknowledged.
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website Privacy Statement
- Check to see if there is a
privacy statement on the website. Read through it to see if it explains how information
is collected. Determine if the website ensures that any personal medical or other
information is held confidentially.
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