CSA's "News You Can Use": Vetting Health Sites

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)

Thanks to the web, a wealth of medical information is just a click away. But how accurate is that information and how much can you – and your members – rely on it? A couple of basic questions to ask when researching a medical or health question online is “Who is sponsoring the website, who paid for any studies reported and is the website promoting a cause"? The answers to these questions will help establish whether the site and info are credible, reliable and scientifically accurate. One top-drawer site is Medline Plus, sponsored by the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health. Here you’ll find solid info on hundreds of health topics and can easily access pictures and videos to help explain conditions. And the material is available in 40 languages, a great way to reach more of your membership! Check out the Community Services Agency’s page (click on Community Services Agency on the left), where you’ll find further information on this subject and additional sites. -  Kathleen McKirchy, CSA Exec Director & Carolyn Jacobson, CLUW health projects coordinator; thanks to Health Information Partners, GWU, which sponsored the June 30 workshop this report is based on.