Many attempts have been made to 'kite mark' health websites. Sites that carry the HONcode logo have signed up to eight ethical principles. View at www.hon.ch
Be wary of sites with convoluted web addresses - they'll often belong to slightly 'cranky' organisations.
Look for a reputable health gateway - websites that provide links to other sites. The best are www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk and www.patient.co.uk For detailed searches try academic sites, such as the National Electronic Library for Health - www.nelh.nhs.uk.
Look for info about who produced the site. Also look out for 'sponsored by' in the small print, as drug companies support hundreds of sites. This doesn't mean they're bad, but they may be biased.
Get to know your suffixes. Educational organisations end with .edu; .gov is a government body, and .org is usually a non-commercial outfit. For health info, they can be relied on more than .com or .co.uk.
(From 'The Week')
Be wary of sites with convoluted web addresses - they'll often belong to slightly 'cranky' organisations.
Look for a reputable health gateway - websites that provide links to other sites. The best are www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk and www.patient.co.uk For detailed searches try academic sites, such as the National Electronic Library for Health - www.nelh.nhs.uk.
Look for info about who produced the site. Also look out for 'sponsored by' in the small print, as drug companies support hundreds of sites. This doesn't mean they're bad, but they may be biased.
Get to know your suffixes. Educational organisations end with .edu; .gov is a government body, and .org is usually a non-commercial outfit. For health info, they can be relied on more than .com or .co.uk.
(From 'The Week')
