Finding health-related information on the internet is not a big deal in the age of “Google.”
But, understanding whether the information is reliable or not is of utmost importance. Many people depend on the internet for obtaining trustworthy health-related details.
There are innumerable instances where people have been led astray by what they see on the internet. Yes, understanding what is correct and what is not can be tricky. But, no more because this article will tell you all about how you can find trustworthy health websites. Now, credible information is just one click away from you that will actually help you.
What do people need to understand before trusting anything on the internet?
- Internet is an open area where anyone can pose as an expert and post anything they feel is correct.
- A page with a good ranking might not provide 100% genuine information. As we know, the SERP ranking of a webpage is controlled by AI and not experts.
- A website might appear reliable when sponsored by a company. Blindly trusting whatever they try to make you understand might be entirely wrong.
You can check out our tips to find out reliable health information. Check the top health sites on Google but beware:
1. Check the source credibility
The URL of the website will tell you volumes about the sponsorship. Usually, government and educational institution websites provide trustworthy information. Avoid looking at personal blogs, websites, ad campaigns, check the kind of organization that is offering the information, check their contact info, and more. If they have anything to sell at all, be a little aware because then, the information you are getting might be biased.
2. Check if the information is updated
When visiting a webpage, look at the “last updated” section. If you don’t get correct information about when it was last updated, there is no need to trust it. The details might be old. If a website provides current data, chances are it is keeping abreast of the latest scientific developments in the health sector. So, you are likely to obtain authentic insights. If you find outdated news falling under the ‘Latest news’ category, stay away from trusting the information. Again, if you see that the links on the website are useless and are not working, understand that the website was updated long back.
3. Check the facts before trusting
If it sounds unrealistic, you will know. People often find phrases like “miracle,” “100% cure,” and more. Well, the truth is there is nothing called a “miracle cure” because it is so good that probably not true. Check for evidence that supports the “XYZ” claim. Look for any researcher’s or medical practitioner’s opinion or review. Check the credibility of the information by comparing it with the information available on other health-related websites (keep in mind that all the websites must be credible). Any health claim validated by several authentic reviews on support groups, health forums, blogs, and more can be considered trustworthy. But again, do your homework carefully. If a health claim is loosely based on a single research, it is possibly not trustworthy. However, multiple large-scale studies validate the claim; you can trust it.
4. Check whether you are being duped
The internet is full of “scammy” websites. People get tricked into downloading viruses every other day. If a website asks you to register for free to access the information on the site or ask you to sign up for free products, avoid going any further. Also, you have to protect your personal data. Hence, go through the privacy policy conditions to check whether the website will share your information with any third-party entity or not. Do not depend on websites that show you pop-ups because you might unmindfully click on some malicious link, and your computer might get hacked. If a website asks you to download files, please do not do it ever unless you are 100% sure that the files are trustworthy. Downloading files can pave the way for malware infestation into your system that can ultimately lead to data theft and other cybercrimes.
Follow the tips mentioned above to stay away from getting disheartened. You can trust websites with URLs having .gov = U.S. government, .edu = educational institution, and .org = professional or non-profit organization. However, note that a URL having .com means it is a commercial website that might be selling something. Hence, understand the motive and choose to trust judiciously.
Article Submitted By Community Writer
