We all have a tendency to listen to and believe tales of woe, and to pass them along pretty much uncensored. Furthermore, the Internet has provided a wide audience for rumors, as well as a source of both reliable and unreliable information. The question is – how do we know what or whom to believe?
Recently, Michelle Bachmann’s comments about HPV vaccine have received widespread coverage.
If a claim is outrageous, be skeptical. There is nothing that causes a 12 year old to become “retarded” within a week; much less a vaccine that causes mental retardation. Even head injuries, encephalitis and stroke can cause selective losses of ability, not instantaneous retardation.
Watch this story about a child who contracted HIB epiglottis because his parents chose not to vaccninate him based on unreliable information and fear of vaccinations.
If you think a health claim or any other claim is too good or too bad to be true, you should investigate further. Many scams and outrageous email rumors are debunked on snopes.com, and there are great sources of reliable information one the web.
Be aware that individuals with chronic health conditions are targeted by opportunists. If there are few legitimate options for treatment of an illness, then worthless “cures” are even more likely to be marketed. Copper bracelets have never been shown to benefit chronic arthritis, for example. If you have a chronic health concern, beware of getting your information off of a website offering a cure for sale.
General search engines such as Google and Yahoo only match search terms and provide the lists of websites that include those terms – whether or not the information is accurate. Being high in the listing does not necessarily mean that the information is more accurate, or that the site is the best one out there. Medical information changes often as new studies are published and it is a good idea to check more than one place for information.
Start with a trustworthy source, especially one which can link you to other reliable sources. Examples are the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Library of Medicine’s Medline Plus, the National Institutes of Health, the World Health Organization, as well as professional organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, medical schools, and disease-specific organizations such as Parents of Kids with Infectious Diseases.
Websites should make clear who is responsible for the site and have a way to contact the information provider. Just because a website claims to be a “National Information Center” does not mean that it is government sponsored, or even nationally recognized by experts in the field as a reliable source of information. Credentials are difficult to verify on the Internet, and an expert in one field may not be an expert in another, particularly in medical issues. Look for sponsoring organizations that allow their name and website links to be associated with the website.
Good websites will not have information slanted in favor of a site sponsor or funding source, particularly information that favors an advertised product or service. If there is a “lawyer referral” tab prominently displayed, then consider that the claim may be promoted because someone is trying to make money off of it.
Finally, look for facts and not for opinion. Beware of research quoted out of context and claims unsupported by research.
Everyone should do their best to be an informed consumer of healthcare services. Ask your doctor for leads on the best websites and information for your health concerns!
For more information on evaluating information on the internet, check the National Network for Immunization Information.
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