Whether you're reading about treatment results or simply trying to find a healthy eating plan, it can be difficult to know if you can believe what you read on the internet.
Information found online is not a substitute for the advice of a medical professional. However, most medical professionals will welcome you to do your own research and bring it to the clinic to discuss. In fact, it's always a good idea to ask whether your online searches have led you to reliable sources. Some clinics may also recommend certain of his websites or articles.
But there are some ways to protect yourself from misinformation while browsing the web about health topics at home. Here's what Mayo Clinic experts recommend:
Find clues by web address
The last three characters of a website's address tell you what type of organization owns the site. Sites that end with the following characters are usually trusted:
.gov (U.S. government agencies) .org (nonprofit organizations such as research associations) .edu (educational centers such as universities)
Websites ending in .com are commercial sites and are not necessarily reliable sources of information.
Find out who wrote the information
Are the articles written or reviewed by medical professionals? Are you a blogger with no medical experience? Or are they representatives of pharmaceutical companies who will do anything to sell their products?
The author's name and title often appear at the top or bottom of the article. You can also see the 'About Us' section to see who is responsible for writing the information on our website.
search:
Information written or reviewed by medical or scientific experts, such as M.D.s and M.D.s. after their names. A list of sources for each article so you know where the information is coming from.
Please check the date
Most reputable health sites have dates listed on their web pages. This tells you when the article was written or last reviewed. If it's from a few years ago, it may be outdated. Or it could be a sign that your website is no longer being reviewed.
If you are unsure whether your information is current, please contact your health care professional.
Does it sound too good to be true?
Be wary of websites that promise “miracle cures” or sell products. If something seems too good to be true, it probably isn't.
Of course, you can also search for trusted sites. If you can't find the same information on a national health care or government agency's website, you know the information isn't accurate.
Trust your medical team. If there is a simple solution to your health problem, they will tell you about it.
What about the news?
People often get information by reading the news. But even reputable news sites may not be telling the whole story when it comes to reporting on medical research.
So how do you know if an article is trustworthy? Check the following:
Quoting the study authors. Interview medical or scientific experts not involved in the study to provide a more unbiased report. Written by health reporters trained to understand medical research.
Even better, find the original research reported in the news. It may be published in a medical journal. A single paper is often just a piece of research on a topic. If you need help understanding the study or how it relates to the study as a whole, ask your health care team to help explain it to you.
Can you trust social media?
Social networking sites contain a lot of fake news, misinformation, and other people's opinions. But if you know where to look, social media can also be a useful way to gather information from reliable sources.
Look for sites ending in .gov, .org, or .edu. Most have links to social media accounts. Follow us for the latest news and information. In many cases, you can also follow the medical clinic's social media.
Additionally, social media can help you connect with other people with similar health conditions. You may find support by following other people's stories or sharing your own. Please remember that you should not take medical advice from anyone outside of your medical team.
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