Medical Information on the Internet: Who Do You Trust?

I have a confession to make: I've done it too! Yes, I, Dr. Acey Albert, have Googled a diagnosis and treatment plan. Of course, at the time, I needed to figure out why my toilet was leaking and how to fix it. That said, the internet is full of information for "do-it-yourselfers." 

Now, let's lay this right out there - Doctors have a "love or hate" relationship with the world-wide web and patients who try to "do it themselves." Some are annoyed, irked or outright offended by patients who try to develop their own diagnosis online, and even more irritated when patients try to treat themselves. Personally and professionally, I believe that informed and enabled patients are fantastic!

The problem with the internet is that some of the information is great, and some of it is, well, either harmful or just plain quackery. So, how do you know what to trust? Follow some of these simple tips:

• Stick with names you know! Many of the same hospitals and health care organizations you'd trust with your medical care in "the real world" also happen to be great resources in the virtual realm. Mayo Clinic really sets the bar here.
• Professional organizations aren't just for the pros. The American Academy of Pediatrics is a great example. Their HealthyChildren.org site is an indispensable resource for parents. 
• Get down to the heart of the issue. Organizations which focus on specific diseases or groups of diseases can be very helpful. Just see tip #1, above, and make sure the organization is one you recognize instantly, such as the American Heart Association or Livestrong.
• Look for HONcode certification. The Health On the Net Foundation, a non-governmental, non-profit organization, certifies websites as trustworthy health information sources. The certification will usually be on the bottom of the home page for a site. 
• Pay attention to the "dot whatever." The two or three letters of an internet URL can tell you a lot! The endings ".edu" and ".gov" correspond to educational institutions and official federal government sites. These are probably the most trustworthy sources on the web. Sites which end with ".org" are typically non-profit organizations, while ".com" URLs are typically for-profit companies. This isn't always the case, and it doesn't mean you can never trust a ".com" site.  It should should raise your level of distrust a bit, but not nearly as much as two-letter endings other than ".us" should. Most of these sites are foreign, or more frighteningly, scam artists hosting in a foreign country where there is less likelihood of investigation or prosecution.
• Watch out for "amazing," "miracle," "breakthrough" claims! Or, for any site trying to sell you anything, for that matter. Chances are, there is at least some degree of a scam being perpetuated on the site. The most offensive of these sites will target the most hopeless of medical situations, often alluding to a cure "they just don't know about." This isn't to say your doctor knows everything, but if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. You're always safe checking with your doctor, first.