How to find reliable health information on the Internet.
Doing searches on the Internet using search engines like Google, Yahoo, or Bing is useful for finding a large number of websites devoted to health information. However, search results may render commercial websites trying to get money from you. Results may also include sites which are totally bogus and untrustworthy.
Sifting through all the sites one doesn't want to see is such a waste of time. It's more productive and time saving to focus on health related websites devoted to providing real, reliable, and trustworthy health information.
Get access to trustworthy health information by using the search tools below. You will go directly to certified websites to get honest health information and not waste your time filtering bogus and useless websites.
- Step 1: Use this short interactive tool to educate yourself on how to know you have accessed trustworthy health information.
Click here for the e-Guide for Health Consumers interactive tool.
Use the arrow keys at the bottom of the Guide to scroll through each frame. It's fun and informative.
- Step 2: Consider adding the HONcode Toolbar to your web browser.
This toolbar is designed to give you search results from accredited and certified health websites saving you time by filtering out bogus health related sites.
The toolbar is available for Internet Explorer and Firefox.
- Step 3: Use the following search engine to focus on trustworthy health information from certified websites.
Click here to use HONcodeHunt.
- Step 4: Use the following search engine to focus on getting specific health information in order to better educate yourself.
Click here to use HONselect.
- Step 5: Use the following search engine to find all medical websites.
Click here to use MedHunt.
- Step 6: Locate health news based upon a specific theme.
Click here to use HONnews.
- Step 7: Keep it simple.
Use the following search engine to ask a question. For example, try asking, "what is heart disease?"
Click here to use HONQA.
- Step 8: Are you looking for diabetes information?
Use the following custom search engine to locate diabetes specific health information.
Click here to use the Diabetes Search Tool.
- Step 9: Are you looking for information about clinical trials?
Use the following search engine to find clinical trials in the United States and around the world.
Click here to use the Clinical Trials search engine.
- Step 10: Are you looking for information about rare diseases?
Use the following search engine to focus on health information about rare medical conditions.
Click here to use the Orphanet search engine.
- Step 11: Are you looking for medical images and video?
Use the following search engine to focus on medically related images.
Click here to use the HONmedia search engine.
- Step 12: Are you looking for medical studies and literature?
Use the following search engine to get specific research and studies about various health related issues.
Click here to use PubMed.
Page review: 11/19/11
