Finding Reliable Health Information Online
Develop your E-Health Literacy Skills
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First published: 28.Aug.2020
Finding Trustworthy E-Health information
The Internet has unlocked a vast world of information for everyone, information on any imaginable subject that is easily accessible 24 ⁄ 7 across the globe.
In the field of health and medical information, this is beneficial because it empowers individuals, helps spread knowledge, builds awareness, and improves the health literacy of the general public.
The downside of online health information is its quality. E-health websites provide content that ranges from excellent to superficial and unsubstantiated, from thoroughly researched and evidence-based to covert advertising, misinformation, or even blatant disinformation.
References and Further Reading
(1) Bessière K, Pressman S, Kiesler S, Kraut R. (2010). Effects of internet use on health and depression: a longitudinal study. Journal of medical Internet research, 12(1), e6.
(2) WHO The mandate for health literacy - Defining health literacy
(3) Norman CD, Skinner HA eHealth Literacy: Essential Skills for Consumer Health in a Networked World, J Med Internet Res 2006;8(2):e9 DOI: 10.2196/jmir.8.2.e9
(4) Diomma Dramé (2020). The health crisis: Fertile ground for disinformation
(5) U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, National Institutes of Health, How To Evaluate Health Information on the Internet: Questions and Answers
(6) The State of Victoria and the Department of Health & Human Services, Australia (2015) Finding reliable health information
(7) GOSH NHS Foundation Trust, UK (2014) Finding reliable health information on the Internet
(8) Swire-Thompson B and Lazer D. (2020). Public Health and Online Misinformation: Challenges and Recommendations, Annual Review of Public Health Vol. 41:433-451 (publ. April 2020)
(9) Union for International Cancer Control, 1 April 2020 Fake news: a threat to public health
(10) Quinn S, Bond R, Nugent C. (2017). Quantifying health literacy and eHealth literacy using existing instruments and browser-based software for tracking online health information seeking behavior. Comput. Hum. Behav. 69:256-67
(11) Daraz L, Dogu C, Houde V, Bouseh S, Morshed KGQuinn S, Bond R, Nugent C. (2024). Assessing Credibility: Quality Criteria for Patients, Caregivers, and the Public in Online Health Information-A Qualitative Study. J Patient Exp. 2024 May 31;11:23743735241259440. doi: 10.1177/23743735241259440. PMID: 38827225
About this Article
Finding Reliable Health Information Online, A. Whittall
©2020
Fit-and-Well.com, 28 Aug. 2020..
Revised 22 Oct. 2024.
Update scheduled for 22 Oct. 2027.
https://www.fit-and-well.com/resources/finding-reliable-health-information-online.html
Tags: health, clinical trials, privacy, confidentiality, ethics.