How to avoid bogus health information on the web

Many people – and patients – don’t realise the origins of some of this health information, just that it was on the first page of Google’s search results. This equates to the idea that a page-rank relates to quality, yet many good health organisations and charities don’t have the resources to optimise their search results position.

 Millennials And Healthy Living: It's About Online Content, Not Doctors' Visits

Millennials are connected to each other, and they trust each other, rather than institutions and manufacturers. If a millennial wants to quit smoking for example, he will often search for related blogs and social media resolution posts from others who have been through the same experience to get advice and support from those people.

 Reliable Medical Information for the Patient from a Biosleuth

A search of the Internet should always be done with the thought in mind that ANYONE can be the author behind that webpage. In fact, if you are reading this blog, do you know who I am?

 Stop Googling your health questions. Use these sites instead.

The group that's done more to further that cause than perhaps any other is the Cochrane Collaboration, an international not-for-profit established in the early 1990s. You've probably never heard of it (incidentally, like the evidence-based medicine movement, it was also co-founded by prudent Canadians) but they're one of the best sources for unbiased medical information in existence and they should be your first stop before you hit Google or WebMD.

A Search of Scary Answers Online Subdues Fearful Uncertainty

Perhaps through reading about and preparing for the worst, the eventual truth seems all the more manageable.

Almost 99 percent of hospital websites give patient data to advertisers

Outside companies have a troubling amount of access to users' medical information, according to new research.

Are Medical Websites, Like WebMD, Healthful?

The internet has democratized medical knowledge, allowing people to learn about their symptoms and conditions without leaving their couch. But have medical websites let people draw conclusions about their health without really understanding what they’re reading? Do they inform patients so they can have better expectations when they see a doctor, or do they do more harm than good?

Google, the Source and Antidote to Bad Medical Advice on the Internet

One in 20 searches conducted on Google are for health related queries; therefore, the trend of using Google in lieu of a doctor is likely to grow. This challenge of keeping us protected from bad advice is set to become even more critical as more users turn to the internet for daily questions.

Health information on the Internet

Gold mine or minefield?

Here's What 6 Doctors Really Think of Dr. Google

Google says it has worked with a team of doctors led by Google’s Dr. Kapil Parakh, to “carefully compile, curate, and review this information. All of the gathered facts represent real-life clinical knowledge from these doctors and high-quality medical sources across the web, and the information has been checked by medical doctors at Google and the Mayo Clinic for accuracy.” Here’s what six real doctors think about the initiative.

How to Look Up Medical Information Online

If you feel confident you can discern the difference between high- and low-quality information, search away. “I encourage my younger or tech-savvy patients to go online,” Cocco says. Otherwise, proceed with caution.

How To Search for Health Information Online

There is so much on the internet these days that it can often be difficult to know where to turn, whom to trust, and what to believe, so it is important to have the right tools to know what sites are best and safest.

Identifying Credible Sources of Health Information in Social Media: Principles and Attributes

People seek, share, and receive health information from a wide variety of sources, such as health care professionals, insurance and pharmaceutical companies, family and friends, media, educational materials, advertisements, and the internet—including social media.

Infographic: The Best And Worst Science News Sites

One thing experience has taught us is that some news outlets are better than others. Some journalists really do care about reporting the news as it is rather than the way they would like it to be. So, in an effort to promote good science news sources while castigating the bad, we teamed up with RealClearScience to create an infographic.

More Americans Go Online For Health-Care Information

An increasing number of Americans use the Internet to search for health or medical information, according to a recent Harris Interactive poll, and a large majority believe the information is at least somewhat reliable.

Online Health Information: Is It Reliable?

There are thousands of medical websites. Some provide reliable health information. Some do not. Some of the medical news is current. Some of it is not. Choosing which websites to trust is an important step in gathering reliable health information.

Online Health Tools Might Not Help The People Who Need It Most

While the barriers from patient to patient will vary, Abdel-Kader says in this case, obstacles might have included patients' confidence and skills in accessing health information on the web; comfort level in communicating with a provider via the portal; and worries about the security of the information and access to the Internet, whether via computer or smartphone.

Search engine secrets

A PLETHORA of health information is available on the Internet. Consumers (general readers as well as healthcare professionals) frequently search for facts, opinions, and scientific studies on disease states and wellness. Knowing if the retrieved information is reliable can be challenging.

Seeking Online Medical Advice? Google's Top Results Aren't Always On Target

When Google was asked what responsibility the company has to provide factually accurate snippets, the company responded, "Since the early days of Search, our goal has been to provide people with access to relevant information from the most reliable sources available. And while we may not always get it right, we're making good progress in tackling the problem."

Should I Trust Wikipedia With My Health?

But, despite its popularity, the reliability of Wikipedia's medical content has often been questioned. A 2011 review on the accuracy and thoroughness of the site's medical entries found mixed results. Other studies show that the site fell short in gastroenterology and hepatology, as well as in general drug information, and in information on the cholesterol-lowering drugs statins (which was later improved). Pages having to do with ear, nose and throat problems were also found wanting.

Some health apps are able not just to diagnose diseases, but also to treat them

They are rapidly becoming an important part of health care.

Stop Asking Dr. Google for Advice

Over 90 percent of patients search the internet for medical information, mostly on WebMD, the Mayo Clinic website and Wikipedia.

The 7 Best Websites To Search for Health Information

Contrary to how some might feel, I'm not totally against my patients googling symptoms. I actually like it when my patients take an active role in their health, but I have a couple of major cautions about doing this: 1) the health information you read may not apply to your particular situation and may not be relevant (thus freaking out is unnecessary) and 2) not all health information online is reliable.

The 7 Best Websites To Search for Health Information

Contrary to how some might feel, I'm not totally against my patients googling symptoms. I actually like it when my patients take an active role in their health, but I have a couple of major cautions about doing this: 1) the health information you read may not apply to your particular situation and may not be relevant (thus freaking out is unnecessary) and 2) not all health information online is reliable.

The Complexity of Simply Searching for Medical Advice

How the anti-vaccine movement used an information void to inject itself into the top results.

The Internet Is Not a Doctor

More and more people in desperate need are turning to the internet in the hopes that the search results will unveil some great truth about what's wrong with them.

The Pros and Cons of Health Websites

Knowledge is power. Most of us rely on the Internet and mobile health apps for basic information about our medical conditions. Reliable online medical sources provide general, easily understandable information about symptoms, treatment options, and common outcomes. When used properly, your online research can help you proactively identify a health problem, treat it over-the-counter, and empower you to make good health-related decisions.

The Science Websites That We Read Every Day

There's a lot of junk on the internet, but the web is still a wonderful place to share and discover knowledge. For science enthusiasts and news connoisseurs who don't want to waste time searching out the most interesting and legit conveyors of this knowledge,

The use of search engines in health

The vast majority of health seekers use search engines as a starting point to gain information on a disease or illness

Top 10 Online Medical Resources For The Patients Of The Future

As technological development empowers patients, they are taking care of their health in a more active way. There is already a myriad of online resources and it’s a challenge on how to choose the best for the specific individual needs.

Using the Web or an App Instead of Seeing a Doctor? Caution Is Advised

Before they see a doctor, most patients turn to websites and smartphone apps. Caution is advised. Research shows they aren’t very good.

WebMD Knows Best?

How the digital era is changing the way we make medical decisions.

What the New Medical Podcast DDx Gets Right About Diagnosis

Unlike medical TV dramas that pedal in rarity, Figure 1’s new nonfiction show finds instructive lessons in everyday medicine.

Which health websites can you trust?

With online health advice ranging from the helpful to the hysterical, where should you turn when illness strikes? Health experts share the websites they recommend.

Why Instagram Is the Worst Social Media for Mental Health

Instagram is the worst social media network for mental health and wellbeing, according to a recent survey of almost 1,500 teens and young adults. While the photo-based platform got points for self-expression and self-identity, it was also associated with high levels of anxiety, depression, bullying and FOMO, or the “fear of missing out.”

Why You Should Never Google Your Symptoms

Just about anyone with Internet access and a body that occasionally goes haywire has had the experience of googling their symptoms and watching, horrified, as the results stream in. Headache = brain tumor! Sharp pain in your side = punctured lung! Sore post-workout legs = deep vein thrombosis! "Yes, you might have a rash, and, yes, you might have seen something somewhere about cancer," says functional medicine doctor Robin Berzin, M.D., founder of Parsley Health.

With Medical Websites, a Cough Is No Longer Just a Cough

The internet, among other things, is perfect for medical neuroses. But while self diagnosis may soothe, agitate or confirm, it doesn’t treat.

Your Doctor Vs. Dr. Google: And The Winner Is...

But, according to results of a new study, doctors are more effective than symptom checkers to obtain an accurate diagnosis —by over two to one—with the suggestion that such computer-based algorithms in symptom checkers could be an effective aid for healthcare professionals to broaden their differential diagnosis.