Take caution

  • The World Wide Web is totally unregulated. ANYONE can post ANY information.
  • There is a tremendous amount of useful information, unfortunately, there is just as
    much misleading information. (There may be significant advertising bias, it could be
    just one person’s opinion, it could be a spoof or a lie).
  • Therefore it is completely up to the reader to watch out for misleading information
  • Remember, each patient is unique, so discuss what you find on the web with your
    provider.

What to watch for

  • The source of the web page. (Who is backing the information? Is it an organization
    that you already have confidence in?)
  • Is there advertising bias? (Are they just trying to get you to buy their product or
    services?)
  • Is the information supported by other unrelated sources? (Question sites that
    disregard other sources of knowledge, or rely solely on themselves).
  • When was the information last updated?