Selecting health sites

Getting health information online is an easy task. Anyone can create a website and publish information on the internet. Deciding which information is trustworthy is not always easy, but very important, when looking for accurate health information.

Consider where the information comes from, who wrote it and/or reviewed the information, how current the information is, and the purpose of the site. This information can be found in the "about" section of a website.

Websites cost money to create and maintain. Knowing who funds the site can help understand the goal of the website. 

• .gov identifies a U.S. government agency

• .edu identifies an educational institution, like a school, college, or university

• .org usually identifies nonprofit organizations (such as professional groups; scientific, medical, or research societies; advocacy groups)

• .com identifies commercial websites (such as businesses, pharmaceutical companies, and sometimes hospitals)

Here are a few credible health sites:

https://www.nih.gov/health-information

https://www.mayoclinic.org/

https://www.drugs.com/

https://medlineplus.gov/

https://familydoctor.org/

Department of Health & Human Services. (2015, September 18). Finding reliable health information. Retrieved from https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/servicesandsupport/finding-reliable-health-information.

Online Health Information: Is It Reliable? (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/online-health-information-it-reliable#ask.