The Doctor is...online?
BY ROBERT RONALD
Canadians are increasingly turning to the Internet for reliable, relevant health-related information. But what makes a website trustworthy? And what type of websites should be avoided? rd.ca has the prescription for you.
Reliable medical websites tend to list sources and provide contact information. They’ve been approved by a recognized third party, and include links to other reliable sites. They will include a statement to the effect that any medical advice found on the website should be approved by a health professional, and they are usually sponsored by or affiliated with legitimate organizations, such as governments or universities.
Specialized Canadian Medical Websites
Reliable Canadian medical websites tend to be produced by well-known and established organizations. They include the following:
“The great thing about these type of websites is that you know that the information they provide is trustworthy,” says Calgary-based pediatrician Dr. Peter Nieman. “And you don’t have to suffer from the illness covered by the website to gain from its content. The Canadian Diabetes Association and the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada sites, for example, have valuable information on how to lose weight—something that can benefit anyone.”
General Medical Websites
A good general health-related website can be more difficult to identify. “Look for accreditation from the Health On the Net (HON) Foundation,” says Dr. Nieman. If you scroll to the bottom of MedicineNet.com (www.medicinenet.com), for example, you will find the HON code and a link to verify its accreditation. If a site does not have the HON code, it does not necessarily mean that the site is no good, but with the code you can rest assured that the site is reliable.”
Reliable Canadian Sites
Canada Health Portal (www.chp-pcs.gc.ca) provides health information and services from federal and provincial governments, as well as national and international organizations.
Canadian Consumer Information Gateway (www.consumerinformation.ca) This website offers consumer information and contacts amassed by federal departments and agencies, and provincial and territorial ministries. Click on “Health” and then the province(s) of your choice. This site has links to hundreds of documents on everything from peanut allergies to belly-button piercing.
Canadian Medical Association Go to www.cma.ca and click on “Public” under “Go to…”—or go directly to www.cma.ca/Public/index.asp?lc=2. This website is a great source for information on medical conditions, which can be searched alphabetically or from the “Health Library,” “Personal Health” and “Condition Centre” menu. The former includes a medication database detailing when a specific medication should be taken and what side effects—if any—to expect.
Health Canada (www.hc-sc.gc.ca) Among the many subjects covered in this Government of Canada website are advisories, warnings and recalls on products affecting the health of Canadians, information on medical devices and natural health products.
Healthy Canadians (www.healthycanadians.ca) This new Government of Canada website is designed to provide Canadians easy access to government health-related campaigns. The site includes links to information on the benefits of physical activity and the recently updated Canada’s Food Guide.
Shoppers Drug Mart (www.shoppersdrugmart.ca) Click on Health & Wellness and you will find databases with information on medications and herbs and supplements.
The College of Family Physicians of Canada (www.cfpc.ca/English/cfpc/programs/patient%20education/default.asp?s=1) The Patient Education Network contains an alphabetical listing of various medical topics, ranging from acne to weight control.
Reliable International Sites
Healthfinder (www.healthfinder.gov) is a U.S. government website with a Health Library that contains valuable information on diseases and conditions, alternative medicine and featured topics.
MedicineNet.com (www.medicinenet.com) This American website includes an Ask the Experts feature, which allows you ask a question and obtain an answer from a health professional. Its library includes previously answered questions, arranged by subject.
MedlinePlus (www.medlineplus.gov) An American health database with information from government agencies and health-related organizations, it provides extensive resources on health topics, health news and references. The site’s Email Updates feature allows you to receive daily or weekly email announcements “containing links to new topics and sites containing consumer health information.” You can also customize the health topics (Children, Diabetes, Environmental Health, Men’s Health, Mental Health, Nutrition & Healthy Living, Senior’s Health, Women’s Health) and MedlinePlus will send you a weekly email with information on the topics chosen.
NHS Direct (www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk) This British National Health Service website includes a self-help guide that suggests a medical condition based on general symptoms. The website can be viewed in more than a dozen languages.
WRAPIN (Worldwide online Reliable Advice to Patients and Individuals) (www.wrapin.org) This Geneva-based website, affiliated with the Health On the Net Foundation, allows you to type in any website, keyword or medical text and WRAPIN will find relevant and trustworthy sources of additional information. For example, if you type www.arthritis.ca, WRAPIN will list all the relevant sites and suggest refining your search with key words, such as “joint,” “knee” or “inflammation.”
Medical Sites to Avoid
Some medical websites should raise a red flag. Dr. Nieman offers some advice on what websites to avoid.
BY ROBERT RONALD
Canadians are increasingly turning to the Internet for reliable, relevant health-related information. But what makes a website trustworthy? And what type of websites should be avoided? rd.ca has the prescription for you.
Reliable medical websites tend to list sources and provide contact information. They’ve been approved by a recognized third party, and include links to other reliable sites. They will include a statement to the effect that any medical advice found on the website should be approved by a health professional, and they are usually sponsored by or affiliated with legitimate organizations, such as governments or universities.
Specialized Canadian Medical Websites
Reliable Canadian medical websites tend to be produced by well-known and established organizations. They include the following:
- Alzheimer’s Society of Canada: www.alzheimer.ca
- Asthma Society of Canada: www.asthma.ca
- Canadian Cancer Society: www.cancer.ca
- Canadian Dental Association: www.cda-adc.ca
- Canadian Diabetes Association: www.diabetes.ca
- Canadian Lung Association: www.lung.ca
- Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada: www.heartandstroke.ca
- Osteoporosis Canada: www.osteoporosis.ca
- The Arthritis Society: www.arthritis.ca
“The great thing about these type of websites is that you know that the information they provide is trustworthy,” says Calgary-based pediatrician Dr. Peter Nieman. “And you don’t have to suffer from the illness covered by the website to gain from its content. The Canadian Diabetes Association and the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada sites, for example, have valuable information on how to lose weight—something that can benefit anyone.”
General Medical Websites
A good general health-related website can be more difficult to identify. “Look for accreditation from the Health On the Net (HON) Foundation,” says Dr. Nieman. If you scroll to the bottom of MedicineNet.com (www.medicinenet.com), for example, you will find the HON code and a link to verify its accreditation. If a site does not have the HON code, it does not necessarily mean that the site is no good, but with the code you can rest assured that the site is reliable.”
Reliable Canadian Sites
Canada Health Portal (www.chp-pcs.gc.ca) provides health information and services from federal and provincial governments, as well as national and international organizations.
Canadian Consumer Information Gateway (www.consumerinformation.ca) This website offers consumer information and contacts amassed by federal departments and agencies, and provincial and territorial ministries. Click on “Health” and then the province(s) of your choice. This site has links to hundreds of documents on everything from peanut allergies to belly-button piercing.
Canadian Medical Association Go to www.cma.ca and click on “Public” under “Go to…”—or go directly to www.cma.ca/Public/index.asp?lc=2. This website is a great source for information on medical conditions, which can be searched alphabetically or from the “Health Library,” “Personal Health” and “Condition Centre” menu. The former includes a medication database detailing when a specific medication should be taken and what side effects—if any—to expect.
Health Canada (www.hc-sc.gc.ca) Among the many subjects covered in this Government of Canada website are advisories, warnings and recalls on products affecting the health of Canadians, information on medical devices and natural health products.
Healthy Canadians (www.healthycanadians.ca) This new Government of Canada website is designed to provide Canadians easy access to government health-related campaigns. The site includes links to information on the benefits of physical activity and the recently updated Canada’s Food Guide.
Shoppers Drug Mart (www.shoppersdrugmart.ca) Click on Health & Wellness and you will find databases with information on medications and herbs and supplements.
The College of Family Physicians of Canada (www.cfpc.ca/English/cfpc/programs/patient%20education/default.asp?s=1) The Patient Education Network contains an alphabetical listing of various medical topics, ranging from acne to weight control.
Reliable International Sites
Healthfinder (www.healthfinder.gov) is a U.S. government website with a Health Library that contains valuable information on diseases and conditions, alternative medicine and featured topics.
MedicineNet.com (www.medicinenet.com) This American website includes an Ask the Experts feature, which allows you ask a question and obtain an answer from a health professional. Its library includes previously answered questions, arranged by subject.
MedlinePlus (www.medlineplus.gov) An American health database with information from government agencies and health-related organizations, it provides extensive resources on health topics, health news and references. The site’s Email Updates feature allows you to receive daily or weekly email announcements “containing links to new topics and sites containing consumer health information.” You can also customize the health topics (Children, Diabetes, Environmental Health, Men’s Health, Mental Health, Nutrition & Healthy Living, Senior’s Health, Women’s Health) and MedlinePlus will send you a weekly email with information on the topics chosen.
NHS Direct (www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk) This British National Health Service website includes a self-help guide that suggests a medical condition based on general symptoms. The website can be viewed in more than a dozen languages.
WRAPIN (Worldwide online Reliable Advice to Patients and Individuals) (www.wrapin.org) This Geneva-based website, affiliated with the Health On the Net Foundation, allows you to type in any website, keyword or medical text and WRAPIN will find relevant and trustworthy sources of additional information. For example, if you type www.arthritis.ca, WRAPIN will list all the relevant sites and suggest refining your search with key words, such as “joint,” “knee” or “inflammation.”
Medical Sites to Avoid
Some medical websites should raise a red flag. Dr. Nieman offers some advice on what websites to avoid.
- Websites that are not updated regularly. “If they are not, you should question the relevancy of the medical information provided.”
- Websites where the person or organization behind the site does not have proper credentials. “A person may give himself or herself a title, but that does not necessary translate into proper accredited training.”
- Websites that promote specific products. “Is the website providing relevant and reliable medical information or is it simply pushing a product? If the latter, then one can guess that it is simply out to make some money.”
| An important note: The information contained in this article is designed to supplement information provided by a physician or health specialist. It is intended for informational and educational use only. Reader’s Digest does not endorse or guarantee any information contained in the sites listed. |
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