The internet can be your biggest resource in finding health information, but it also can be one of the biggest sources of misinformation. Finding accurate and nonbiased information regarding drugs and your health can be a difficult but important task. Having the right information available and knowing where to find it is critical to the decisions you make regarding your health.
Due to the fact that medically accurate drug information and its effects on your health can be hard to find, here are some tips for finding the best health information possible:
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health uses the following five questions to evaluate if the health information you are looking at is accurate:
Ask questions and be skeptical when looking for the information you need. The better information you have, the better decisions you can make.
References
Hopkinsmedicine.org. (n.d.). Finding Reliable Health Information Online. [online] Available at www.hopkinsmedicine.org/johns_hopkins_bayview/patient_visitor_amenities/
community_health_library/finding_reliable_health_information_online.html [Accessed 7 Jul. 2019].
Medlineplus.gov. (2019). Evaluating Health Information. [online] Available at https://medlineplus.gov/evaluatinghealthinformation.html [Accessed 5 Jul. 2019].
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. (2018). Finding and Evaluating Online Resources. [online] Available at https://nccih.nih.gov/health/webresources [Accessed 5 Jul. 2019].
University of Washington (n.d.). Finding Accurate Health Information on the Web. [online] Available at https://depts.washington.edu/uwcphn/qhi/toolkit/tips.shtml [Accessed 6 Jul. 2019].
September Johnson is an intern in DEA’s Community Outreach and Prevention Support Section. Currently, she is an MPH candidate at the Boston University School of Public Health with a concentration in Community Assessment, Program Design, Implementation, and Evaluation. September earned her bachelor’s degree in public health from the University at Albany. She has a background in project management and has over five years of experience as a public health professional in a variety of fields and settings. September has a strong interest in work and research in the fields of substance use, harm reduction, sexual health, and HIV/AIDS.
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