Reliable Health Information on the Internet

The Internet is the gateway to endless amounts of information. It’s easy-to-use, accessible and finds what you’re looking for in a matter of seconds. With this in mind, it is no surprise that more and more people are tossing books aside and using the Internet as their main source of information.

There are over 100,000 health-related Web sites. The goal of this site is to direct you to reliable health information on the Internet. As the Internet is a public domain, meaning anyone can create a site regardless of their credibility, keep these things in mind as you search the Web.

• Use reputable sources. Start with MedlinePlus (medlineplus.gov). MedlinePlus has information information that is reliable, current, accurate, multilingual and written by health professionals. It’s free and accessible from any Internet connection.
  
• Do not search the entire Internet. There are billions of Web sites on the Internet. The sites contained in this Web site are reliable.
  
• Beware of commercial sites. Sites with “.com” at the end of their address are commercial sites whose primary goal is to make a profit, and not necessarily to provide reliable information.
  
• Check to see if the information is current and accurate. Web sites can be created by anyone. Be sure the information you obtain is written by a health-care professional. Look for credentials (i.e. M.D., Ph.D., CRNP, D.D.S., RN). Check all information for a date. Information more than five years old is considered outdated.

The staff of the Harrison Medical Library, at the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, offer free instructional presentations on locating reliable health information on the Internet. Presentations or hands-on classes are done for community groups and schools.

If you know of a group that would be interested in arranging a class or presentation, contact Christine Caufield-Noll (410-550-0681) at the Harrison Medical Library.

In addition, staff from the Harrison Library staff the Community Health Library, also located at Johns Hopkins Bayview. Services provided at the Community Health Library include Internet access, consumer health books and newsletters, and a leisure reading collection.

The Community Health Library (410-550-0681) is open to patients, visitors and community members, Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and is located on the 01 Level of the Pavilion, next to the rehabilitation department. Stop by and check it out!