Vicki Killion vkillion@purdue.edu

Finding health information on the Web is easy!  Finding "good" information is harder.  Everyone wants to believe that the `Net will improve our lives, but it's important to remember that the quality of health information on the Internet is extremely variable.

Any website that fails to comply with the following minimum standards should be avoided:

• Authorship - The author(s) or creator(s) of the site should be clearly stated.  Starting with a reliable site may link you to other credible sites.
• Currency - The dates of creation and/or the latest update should be easily found.  Also check for active links.
• Purpose - Information or commercial?  If the reader is being encouraged to purchase something or the site is supported by advertising or if research is being cited as evidence with no corresponding source of that information, find another site.
• Contact - The way one can contact the agency or sponsor of the site should be displayed.

Tips for the Consumer:  Finding Quality Health Information on the Internet

eHealth Code of Ethics

Health on the Net (HON) Code of Conduct for Medical and Health Web Sites

AMA Guidelines for Medical and Health Information Sites on the Internet

Which site would you recommend to someone wanting information about vaccinations:

National Vaccine Information Center

National Network for Immunization Information