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The
number of Web sites offering health-related resources—including information
about complementary health approaches (often called complementary and
alternative medicine)—grows every day. Social media sites are also increasingly
popular sources of health information. Many online health resources are useful,
but others are inaccurate or misleading. To find sources you can trust and to learn
how to assess their information, check out our information on "Finding and Evaluating Online
Resources" at http://1.usa.gov/1SRhufH.
Ask
these five questions when you visit a site for the first time:
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Who runs the Web
site? Can you trust them?
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What does the site
say? Do its claims seem too good to be true?
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When was the
information posted or reviewed? Is it up-to-date?
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Where did the
information come from? Is it based on scientific research?
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Why does the site
exist? Is it selling something?
Be
particularly cautious about a site if it:
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Is
selling something
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Includes
outdated information
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Makes excessive
claims for what a product can do
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Is sponsored by
an organization whose goals differ from yours.
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