{"id":355808,"date":"2016-04-04T10:46:14","date_gmt":"2016-04-04T15:46:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/healthcare\/patient-rights\/evaluating-health-information-on-the-internet.html"},"modified":"2018-05-30T14:49:11","modified_gmt":"2018-05-30T19:49:11","slug":"evaluating-health-information-on-the-internet","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/healthcare\/patient-rights\/evaluating-health-information-on-the-internet.html","title":{"rendered":"Searching for Health Information Online"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Searching for Health Information Online<\/h1>\n
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Created by FindLaw’s team<\/a> of legal writers and editors<\/i><\/p>\n\n | Last updated\n

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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

While the internet offers consumers unprecedented access to information, it can be a double-edged sword for patients attempting to learn about healthcare. Searching for health information online is a great way to understand your diagnoses and treatment options, but not all online information is accurate. This article has some tips to help you distinguish between good and bad medical information, in addition to understanding your rights and responsibilities as a patient<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n

Who Runs the Website and Why?<\/h2>\r\n

When you arrive at a website, the first thing you should do is check who runs the site and for what purpose. The government, educational institutions, and nonprofit organizations aren't generally seeking to make money from their websites. As a result, they're free to provide relatively unbiased information. However, there are still a few prominent business-owned sites that have solid reputations for providing accurate health care information.<\/p>\r\n

The internet domain suffix<\/a> (the last few letters of the address, after the period) usually gives an important clue:<\/p>\r\n