Finding your way to reliable health info on the Web
So many people are turning to the Internet for health information that there's now a word to describe people who frequently go to the Web for a diagnosis of their ailments — cyberchondriacs.
In a survey done by the Center for Studying Health System Change, researchers found that the proportion of Americans who use the Internet as a source for health information doubled from 16 percent in 2001 to 32 percent in 2007. They comprise the fastest-growing group compared to those who get their health information from books, magazines, newspapers, friends and relatives.
But is the information you find on the Web reliable? Would you bet your life on it?
Two medical librarians, based at the
Louise M. Darling Biomedical Library in the Geffen School of Medicine, are working to improve the health literacy of consumers to keep them from falling into the clutches of bogus and biased website operators who have a for-profit motive.
Kelli Ham is a consumer health librarian for the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, and Rikke Ogawa is the emergent technologies coordinator for the biomedical library. A senior member of the Academy of Health Information Professionals, Ogawa has spent more than nine years as a medical librarian introducing people to the best techniques for finding medical information.
Both gave useful tips to consumers attending last month's meeting of the UCLA Library Associates at the Charles E. Young Research Library and guided them to the best resources for health information available on the web.
A Good Starting Place One place to start in the hunt for accurate, medically reviewed and reliable information about a condition, drug or therapy is
MedlinePlus, a government site put together for consumers by the National Library of Medicine, the largest medical library in the world.
"MedlinePlus is really a collection of the very best resources out there," Ham said, drawing from the National Institutes of Health and other government agencies and health organizations. "The people at the National Library of Medicine are not creating this content. Like any good librarian, they are finding the best resources to put on your shelf."
However, it is not as powerful as the databases available to healthcare professionals, she added. But unlike
WebMD.com, one of the most popular sites for health information, MedlinePlus does not carry advertising and is not in the business of making money. "The information on WebMD is not harmful," Ham noted, "but it's not as robust, and it's also sometimes not as up-to-date." WebMD also carries a section of sponsored content, Ogawa added. "It's sponsored by people who want it to be there."
Ham took listeners on a short tour of MedlinePlus' most interesting features:
• With more than 750 health topics to select from, readers can find a wealth of information on a particular disorder, condition, diagnostic test and symptoms as well as health-related social issues such as divorce and end-of-life issues. The health topics section "is the heart and soul of MedlinePlus," Ham said.
If you are diabetic and experiencing foot problems, for example, you'll find the diabetic foot under "Health Topics," using the alphabetical listing. Click that, and you'll get an overview, treatment options, prevention measures, an interactive tutorial, illustrations, a video, photographs and links to journal articles. If you need to find a specialist in your area, it has a search feature right in that section listing them with their contact information. You'll also find a list of related topics to jump to. Much of the information in this section is available in three foreign languages, including Spanish.
• A "Drugs and Supplements" link from the home page will take you to an alphabetical listing of drugs by generic and brand name as well as a separate alphabetical listing of herbs and supplements. What you'll find is information that covers side effects, possible interaction when used with other drugs and highlighted warnings.
What you get if you look up "ginkgo biloba" is not a sales presentation, said Ham, but the results of scientific research into uses of this top-selling herbal remedy. Depending on what you're using it for, MedlinePlus rates the herb according to scientific evidence. There's also information on safety concerns, possible drug interaction and proper dosing.
For example, if you're interested in what ginkgo can do for dementia, you'll find it ranked "A" because "the scientific literature overall does suggest that ginkgo benefits people with early stage Alzheimer's disease and multi-infarct dementia," but that "well-designed research comparing ginkgo to prescription drug therapies is needed." There's little scientific evidence (D ranking) to justify its use by post-menopausal women having trouble with mood, anxiety or sleep.
There's also an entire section devoted to complementary and alternative medicine.
• People looking for hospitals, doctors, dentists, midwives or other health professionals will find links to directories put together by professional physician societies and boards. "You can even find out if your doctor has been sued for malpractice in California," Ham advised.
• You'll find links to current news about the latest research discoveries and trials – "news you just saw on television or read in the newspaper," Ham said. In another section of the home page, you can connect with slideshows and surgeon-narrated videos of surgical procedures, such as those your doctor may suggest for you.
Watch Your Step
If you want to delve further into the seemingly endless supply of health information on the Web, Ogawa advises critically evaluating the information you find: Who runs or pays for the website? Does the site have a bias, and where does it get its information? When was the site last updated?
"Reputable websites usually make it really easy to identify who runs the site. Nonreputable websites make it harder to find this out," said Ogawa. If something doesn't sound right, information on who sponsors a particular site can be found through the search engine
Alexa.
She advised consumers to guard their privacy carefully, "especially when you're talking about health care. Your health issues are personal. They don't need to be shared with everybody in the world. You want to make sure you don't get targeted marketing." Don't list your personal e-mail address. Use one that you have set up to receive junk e-mail, she said.
A Better Way to Talk to Your Doctor
Ogawa gave out one more recommendation on a website that actually helps you talk to your doctor, and provides you with a checklist of questions for your doctor that you can tailor. It'll help you become a more consumer and heathcare partner and reduce the risk of medical error, she said.
The
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) (ahrq.gov/consumer) also gives you evidence-based information on how to choose health plans, doctors and hospitals.
Finally, Ogawa and Ham said the campus' biomedical library is open to the public, although most of the information on its website is restricted to current students, staff and faculty. If you have a health-related question, they can help guide you to the right resources.There's information out there "to make you an effective consumer so that you can talk at a different level with your healthcare provider," Ogawa said.
