Which precautions must one take when seeking health advice on the Internet?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

• Look for credentials of the person or organization sponsoring the site.
• Check when the site was last updated. Credible sites are updated often.
• Check the appearance of the information on the site. It should be presented in a professional manner. If every sentence ends with an exclamation point, you have a good cause for suspicion.
• Exercise caution if the site's sponsor is trying to sell a product. If so, be leery of opinions posted on the site. They could be biased, given that the company's main objective is to sell a product. Credible companies trying to sell a product on the Internet usually reference their sources of health information and provide additional links that support their product.
• Compare a site's content with other credible sources. The contents should be generally similar to those of other reputable sites or publications.
• Note the address and contact information for the company. A reliable company will list more than a P.O. box, an 800 number, and the company's e-mail address. When only the latter information is provided, consumers may never be able to locate the company for questions, concerns, or refunds.
• Be on the alert for companies that claim to be innovators while criticizing competitors or the government for being closed-minded or trying to keep them from doing business.
• Watch for advertisers that use valid medical terminology in an irrelevant context or use vague pseudomedical jargon to sell their product.