Information overload

When you or someone you care about is first diagnosed with an illness, lots of questions will be raised. So, where do you get the answers to these questions? You could go to your library or ask friends, but if it is a private matter, you might want to find the answer yourself.

Many people look on the Internet, and this can be a help, but without knowing where to look, it can be a hindrance. There is so much information on the Internet. Some has been written by experts, some by members of the public with an interest, some by people who have products to sell. But how do you tell what is good information and what is bad. Over the next few months, I will offer some guidance for identifying good quality patient information on the Internet. The key thing, - and this is difficult to do when you are worrying about a condition – is to ask some sensible questions. For example:

• How old is this information? – is it still applicable or is there a better treatment available now?
• Who has written it? – health professional, patient, or drug company – a patient might not be able to give an objective viewpoint and a drug company might be biased.

A useful checklist to use is the Discern tool () which helps you evaluate the quality of consumer health information.

As this blog grows, I will introduce you to other useful websites. If you have any comments or suggestions, please let me know. As I am UK-based, the content will be aimed at UK patients. However, the concepts will apply to all patients looking for good quality information.