How to Check Health Information Online Before You Act on It

How can you tell whether health information online is trustworthy? Before changing your diet, buying a product or delaying care, check who published the claim, what evidence supports it, how current it is and whether it applies to your situation.

This article is general health education, not a diagnosis or personal treatment recommendation. Online information can help you prepare questions, but it cannot assess your individual health needs.

Start with the source, not the headline

Look for the organisation, author or health professional responsible for the page. Government agencies, hospitals, universities, public health organisations and regulated professional colleges can be useful starting points, but a professional-looking design is not evidence by itself.

Ask:

• Is the author or organisation clearly named?
• Is there a publication or review date?
• Does the page explain its editorial responsibility or contact information?
• Is the web address what you would expect, or does it imitate another organisation?
• Is the publisher selling the product or service being recommended?

The Government of Canada’s guidance on science misinformation recommends investigating the original source, comparing questionable information with trustworthy sources and checking the domain name.

Trace the claim to its original evidence

Health information is often copied, shortened or reposted. Follow links back to the original study, public health notice, product information or professional guidance when possible.

Then identify what kind of evidence you are looking at. Research involving cells or animals may help generate questions, but it does not by itself show that an approach prevents or treats a condition in people. A small observational study may identify an association without proving that one factor caused another. A personal story can describe one person’s experience, but it cannot establish how an intervention works for everyone.

Useful details to check include:

• how many people were studied;
• who was included or excluded;
• what the comparison group received;
• how long participants were followed;
• what outcome was measured; and
• what limitations the researchers reported.

Match the wording to the strength of the evidence

Reliable information usually distinguishes between what is known, what is uncertain and what is still being studied. Be cautious when a page uses absolute promises such as “works for everyone,” “guaranteed,” “miracle cure,” “detoxes all toxins” or “no side effects.”

Also look closely at claims that one product replaces several different treatments, that conventional care is always harmful or that questioning the claim proves you are uninformed. These statements may be persuasive, but persuasion is not the same as evidence.

Pay attention to the difference between:

• an association and a cause-and-effect relationship;
• a possible benefit and a demonstrated benefit;
• an average result in a study and a likely result for you; and
• absence of evidence and evidence that something does not work.

Check dates, updates and changing guidance

Health recommendations can change as evidence, regulations and public health conditions change. Look for the publication date and the date of the most recent review. An older page may still explain background concepts, but it should not be your only source for a time-sensitive decision.

For Canadian information, compare claims with current pages from Health Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada or the relevant provincial health authority.

Ask whether the information fits your situation

Even accurate general information may not apply to every person. Relevance can depend on age, pregnancy or breastfeeding, allergies, medical conditions, prescribed medicines, natural health products, previous test results and other factors.

Do not stop a prescribed medicine, begin a restrictive diet or take a new product solely because of an online claim. Save the page and discuss it with an appropriate regulated health professional who can consider your history, current care and the quality of the evidence.

Turn a claim into a useful appointment question

You do not need to prove that something you read is correct before bringing it to an appointment. Save the original page and ask:

• “What is this source claiming, and what evidence supports it?”
• “Is this evidence about people like me?”
• “What parts are established, and what parts remain uncertain?”
• “Could this product or approach interact with my medicines or other supplements?”
• “What are the reasonable alternatives, including waiting or doing nothing for now?”
• “What risks, costs and follow-up should I understand before deciding?”

In Ontario, the College of Naturopaths of Ontario describes informed consent as specific and informed. The discussion should address the proposed assessment or treatment, its purpose, expected benefits, material risks and side effects. The College also states that consent is an ongoing conversation, not a one-time form, and that reasonable alternatives and the consequences of declining care may be relevant to the discussion.

Keep a short source record

If an online claim may affect a health decision, record:

• the page title and exact web address;
• the organisation or author;
• the publication or update date;
• the specific claim that caught your attention; and
• any product name, ingredient, dose or test mentioned.

This helps a clinician assess the original information rather than a paraphrase. It can also help you notice when a social media post has omitted important context.

If you are preparing for a visit, the clinic’s New Patients page explains what to bring, including a current list of medicines and supplements, relevant health information and your questions.

Know when online searching is not enough

Online reading is not a substitute for urgent care. If someone may be in immediate danger, call 911.

For non-emergency health questions in Ontario, Health811 offers free, confidential access to registered-nurse advice by phone or online. A health professional can help determine whether a general information question needs an examination, testing or prompt follow-up.

Use online information as a starting point

A useful online health page should make its source, evidence, dates and limitations reasonably clear. Check the original claim, compare it with authoritative information and ask whether it fits your circumstances before acting on it.

For more general health education, visit the clinic’s Resources page. If you have questions about the clinic or would like to enquire about an appointment, contact Mariposa Naturopathic Medicine. For urgent concerns, use emergency or local health services rather than this website.