How to Evaluate Health Websites

10 Things To Know About Evaluating Medical Resources on the Web - Adapted from CAMBasics Document*

Introduction: The number of Web sites offering health-related resources grows every day. Many sites provide valuable information, while others may have information that is unreliable or misleading. This short guide contains important questions you should consider as you look for health information online. Answering these questions when you visit a new site will help you evaluate the information you find.

1. Who runs this site?
Any good health-related Web site should make it easy for you to learn who is responsible for the site and its information. …for example, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) is clearly marked on every major page of its site... [Responsibility may rest with an organization, institution, company, or individual. In the case of personal authorships credentials and affiliations should be clearly represented. ]

2. Who pays for the site?
It costs money to run a Web site. The source of a Web site's funding should be clearly stated or readily apparent. For example, Web addresses ending in [".gov" denote a government-sponsored site; “.org” denotes an organization or association; “.com” a commercial site.] You should know how the site pays for its existence. Does it sell advertising? Is it sponsored by a drug company? [Does it rely on donations?] The source of funding can affect what content is presented, how the content is presented, and what the site owners want to accomplish on the site.

3. What is the purpose of the site?
This question is related to who runs and pays for the site. An "About This Site" link appears on many sites; if it's there, use it. The purpose of the site should be clearly stated and should help you evaluate the trustworthiness of the information. [Sites that market services and/or products will usually have motivations that differ from those that primarily provide content only. ]

4. Where does the information come from?
Many health/medical sites post information collected from other Web sites or sources. If the person or organization in charge of the site did not create the information, the original source should be clearly labeled. [Is the information provided within the parameters of normally accepted medical information? Is it unbiased? ]

5. What is the basis of the information?
In addition to identifying who wrote the material you are reading, the site should describe the evidence that the material is based on. Medical facts and figures should have references ... opinions or advice should be clearly set apart from information that is [factual, i.e.] based on reproducible research results.

6. How is the information selected?
Is there an editorial board? Do people with excellent professional and scientific qualifications review the material before it is posted? [Is the quality of the website accredited by a reputable organization like HON? ]

7. How current is the information?
Web sites should be reviewed and updated on a regular basis. It is particularly important that medical information be current. The most recent update or review date should be clearly posted. Even if the information has not changed, you want to know whether the site owners have reviewed it recently to ensure that it is still valid.

8. How does the site choose links to other sites?
Web sites usually have a policy about how they establish links to other sites. Some medical sites take a conservative approach and don't link to any other sites. Some link to any site that asks, or pays, for a link. Others only link to sites that have met certain criteria. [Are the links maintained and checked regularly? Is there an alert when the link takes you outside the referring website? Carefully evaluate the new website according to the principles of evaluation listed in this document. ]

9. What information about you does the site collect, and why?
Web sites routinely track the paths visitors take through their sites to determine what pages are being used. Some health Web sites ask you to "subscribe" or "become a member." … this may be so that they can collect a user fee or select information for you that is relevant to your concerns. In all cases, this will give the site personal information about you. [Check the “Policy” and “Privacy” statements on each website to determine the what, why, and how. ]

Any credible health site asking for this kind of information should tell you exactly what they will and will not do with it. Many commercial sites sell "aggregate" (collected) data about their users to other companies—for example what percentage of their users are women with breast cancer. Some…may collect and reuse information that is "personally identifiable," such as your ZIP code, gender, and birth date. Be certain that you read and understand any privacy policy or similar language on the site, and don't sign up for anything that you are not sure you fully understand. [Be especially circumspect when using support and chat websites. You may want to establish an anonymous email.]

10. How does the site manage interactions with visitors?
[Is there an internal search engine or a site index? Is the interface easy to use?] There should always be a way for you to contact the site owner if you run across problems, have questions, or need feedback. If the site hosts chat rooms or other online discussion areas, it should tell visitors what the terms of using this service are. Is it moderated? If so, by whom, and why? [It is always a good idea to spend time monitoring the discussion before joining in, so that you feel comfortable with the environment before becoming a participant. ]

Note: The original NCCAM publication is adapted from a fact sheet produced by the National Cancer Institute. It is not copyrighted and it is in the public domain.

[ASK YOURSELF: Is the website information provided in ACCORD with the good practices listed above? Accurate, Credible, Current, Organized, Relevant and fully Disclosed ]

*Additions in [ ]; Ellipsis (…) indicates omission from original document.
National Center for Complementary & Alternative Medicine (NCCAM)
Publication. No. D337 Updated December 2006

http://nccam.nih.gov/health/webresources Accessed August 23, 2007. Revised January 2007; March 2007