newscubic
Reading about potential health conditions and symptoms online can increase anxiety and stress, especially when googling worst-case scenarios or unexplained symptoms. The internet is full of misinformation, including false claims, outdated information, and pseudoscientific theories. If you are blindly trusting the health information you find on Google, it can be harmful for you. Read here what to do before googling about diseases…
- Source credibility: Trust reputable sources such as government health agencies, such as the Indian Council of Medical Research ICMR or the Indian Medical Association IMA, as well as academic institutions and recognized health organizations, such as the World Health Organization – WHO.
- Official website: Prefer information from websites ending in the .gov, .edu, or .org (non-profit organization) domain. These websites often provide reliable and evidence-based health information.
- Peer-reviewed journal: Read articles published in peer-reviewed medical journals. Peer review ensures that research is checked by experts in the field before publication. This increases its credibility. PubMed Central and Google Scholar are good platforms to access such articles.
- Publication date: Check the date of publication or the last update of the information. Medical knowledge evolves rapidly, so prioritize recent sources to ensure accuracy and relevance.
- Author credentials: Verify the qualifications and expertise of authors or contributors. Look for medical professionals, researchers, or experts with relevant experience and credentials in the field of study.
- Transparency and objectivity: Obtain information from sources that provide transparent information about funding, conflicts of interest, and editorial policies. Transparency builds trust and helps identify potential biases.
- Consensus guidelines: Look for consensus guidelines and recommendations from reputable medical organizations and expert panels. These guidelines reflect current best practices and evidence-based approaches to the diagnosis, treatment, and management of health conditions.
- Patients’ rights groups: Consider information from reputable advocacy groups that work for patients’ rights related to specific health conditions. These organizations often provide factual information along with valuable resources, support networks, and educational materials for patients and caregivers.
- Expert advice: Use online information as a supplement, not a substitute, for professional medical advice. Consult healthcare professionals such as physicians, specialists, or pharmacists for individualized assessment, diagnosis, and treatment recommendations.
- Critical appraisal skills: Develop critical appraisal skills to evaluate the quality, relevance, and reliability of health information. Tools such as the CRAAP test (Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, Objectivity) can help assess the credibility of sources.
