Whether you’re reading about treatment outcomes or simply trying to find a healthy diet plan, it can be hard to know if you can believe what you read on the internet.
No information you find online can replace a medical professional’s advice. But most health care professionals welcome you doing your own research and bringing it into the clinic to discuss. In fact, it’s always a good idea to ask them if your online searches have landed on trustworthy sources. Your clinic also may recommend specific websites or articles.
But while you’re at home browsing the web for health topics, there are a few ways you can protect yourself from false information. Here’s what Mayo Clinic experts recommend.
Look for clues in the web address
The last 3 letters of the website’s address let you know what type of organization owns the site. Sites that end in these letters can typically be trusted:
- .gov (a U.S. governmental agency)
- .org (a nonprofit organization, like a research society)
- .edu (an educational center, like a university)
Websites that end in .com are commercial sites and are not always reliable sources of information.
Find out who wrote the information
Is the article written or reviewed by a health care expert? A blogger with no medical experience? Or a representative for a drug company who will say anything to sell a product?
You’ll often see the author’s name and title at the top or bottom of articles. You also can look in the About Us section to see who’s in charge of writing the information on the website.
Look for:
- Information that is written or reviewed by medical or scientific experts, like people with M.D. or Ph.D. after their name.
- A list of sources for each article, so you know where the information came from.
Check the date
Most reputable health sites will include a date on their webpages. This shows when the article was written or last reviewed. If it’s several years old, it may be out of date. Or it could be a sign that the website is no longer being reviewed.
If you’re not sure if the information is current, ask a health care professional.
Does it sound too good to be true?
Be wary of websites that promise “miracle cures” or are selling a product. If something seems too good to be true, it probably isn’t true.
To be sure, you can search trustworthy sites. If you can’t find the same information on websites for national medical organizations or government agencies, you can be sure it’s not accurate.
Trust your health care team. If there was a quick solution to your health issues, they would tell you about it.
What about the news?
Reading the news is often where people get their information. But when it comes to reporting about medical research, even reputable news sites may not tell the whole story.
So how do you know if you can trust the article? Check to see if it:
- Quotes the authors of the study.
- Interviews medical or scientific experts not involved in the study, for more fair reporting.
- Is written by a health reporter who is trained to understand medical research.
Even better, find the original study the news is reporting on. It may be published in a medical journal. Often, a single article is only part of the research on a topic. If you need help understanding the study or how it relates to the overall research, ask your health care team to help explain it.
Can you trust social media?
Social networking sites contain plenty of fake news, misinformation and other people’s opinions. But if you know where to look, social media also can be a handy way to gather information from trustworthy sources.
Look back at the sites you’ve found that end in .gov, .org or .edu. Most will have links to their social media accounts. You can follow them to get updates on the latest news and information. You often can follow your health care clinic’s social media as well.
Plus, social media can be helpful for connecting with other people who have similar health conditions. You may find support by following the stories of others and sharing your own. Just remember that you shouldn’t take medical advice from anyone but your health care team.
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