David Baxter PhD
Late Founder
How to Assess Health Information Online
HealthInsite (Australian Government)
January 2010
The Internet can be a valuable source of health information that can help you understand your health issues as well as those of your friends or families.
Not all health information available on the Internet goes through the same strict quality assessment process that HealthInsite follows. The following checklist and links can help you to decide if the information you find on the Internet is of good quality.
Health information on web sites should not take the place of your health provider/patient relationship and should not be used for self-diagnosis. There are many factors that need to be considered in relation to your health and the diagnosis of any condition. You should use the Internet as an information resource and ask a health professional about any issues raised by the information or anything that you don't understand, such as medical terms. You should also avoid any online health practitioner who proposes to diagnose or treat you without a proper physical examination and a full consultation regarding your medical history.
Questions to 'ask' about the information
The following questions may help you to decide if health information on the Internet is of good quality:
1. Why was it created (purpose)?
Note for parents/guardians
Parents and guardians should check that sites are appropriate for children. There are sites that have been developed specifically for the information needs of young people. Some health promoting sites may also have a section especially for young people.
Sites that offer ideas on assessing the quality of health information web sites
HealthInsite (Australian Government)
January 2010
The Internet can be a valuable source of health information that can help you understand your health issues as well as those of your friends or families.
Not all health information available on the Internet goes through the same strict quality assessment process that HealthInsite follows. The following checklist and links can help you to decide if the information you find on the Internet is of good quality.
Health information on web sites should not take the place of your health provider/patient relationship and should not be used for self-diagnosis. There are many factors that need to be considered in relation to your health and the diagnosis of any condition. You should use the Internet as an information resource and ask a health professional about any issues raised by the information or anything that you don't understand, such as medical terms. You should also avoid any online health practitioner who proposes to diagnose or treat you without a proper physical examination and a full consultation regarding your medical history.
Questions to 'ask' about the information
The following questions may help you to decide if health information on the Internet is of good quality:
1. Why was it created (purpose)?
- does the site state why it was developed?
- who developed the site? Can you find any apparent bias or conflict?
- who is it aimed at and pitched for - health professionals, general public, young people, children, etc.
- is it clearly stated who is responsible for the information content?
- what are the author's qualifications and can they be verified?
- are there contact details such as email, postal details, phone numbers, including toll free? Is feedback and interaction encouraged?
- is the publisher a reputable one?
- does the site provide details of the quality assurance process used to ensure that information on the site meets a high standard?
- what are the qualifications of the authors and people who approve information for the site?
- do the producers of the site have a commercial interest, eg companies often have good information but only about their products?
- is information provided on the site's privacy policies and are there appropriate disclaimers?
- does it include links to other reputable sites?
- for diseases or conditions, does it indicate:
- the causes
- how to prevent it
- how to recognise it
- how it is diagnosed
- treatments/procedures (and alternatives)
- after care and quality of life issues associated with the disease or condition
- does it provide balanced and unbiased information without being opinionated?
- does it have good coverage of topics?
- is it clear what sources of information were used to develop the page/study/publication?
- how extensive is the coverage?
- for information on treatments, does it cover:
- how treatments work
- what are their benefits and risks
- what are the effects on quality of life, and
- what is the likely effect of non-treatment?
- are there alternatives for obtaining the information, such as phoning or having reports posted to you?
- is there help available, either by instructions on the site or via email?
- how often is the site updated?
- is the date clearly visible?
- are there other features to indicate that information is kept up-to-date?
- is all of this information clear and easy to understand?
- is it easy to navigate the site and find information?
- is it carefully laid out and are there any additional features such as images to enhance the information?
- is it easy to know where you are in the site and to find additional information on the topic?
- Click, click: the internet and prescription drugs [Australian Prescriber]
- WHO article - medical products and the Internet: a guide to finding reliable information [Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing]
- Consumer Medicine Information (CMI) [Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care]
- Judging the quality of a health website [The Jean Hailes Foundation for Women's Health]
- Checking out health websites [National Prescribing Service]
Note for parents/guardians
Parents and guardians should check that sites are appropriate for children. There are sites that have been developed specifically for the information needs of young people. Some health promoting sites may also have a section especially for young people.
Sites that offer ideas on assessing the quality of health information web sites
- Healthfinder content guidelines, Healthfinder (US)
- MedlinePlus quality guidelines , National Library of Medicine (US)
- Internet for Medicine, a free online tutorial produced by Intute, a free online service providing access to the best Web resources for education and research. Subject specialists select and evaluate the websites in our database and write high quality descriptions of the resources.
- HONcode , Health on the Net Foundation
- HON toolbar - download toolbar that automatically checks the accreditation of the website you are looking at
- DISCERN Online: Quality criteria for consumer health information
