EVALUATING HEALTH INFORMATION ONLINE

Lydia N CollinsConsumer Health Coordinator

CONSUMER HEALTH – THEN AND NOW…• 1972 Patient Bill of Rights

Realities of Health Care today:

• Patients are now asked to make decisions about their own disease process.

•Most patients do not have the tools to make these kinds of decisions

• Libraries can help!

PEW INTERNET HEALTH ONLINE STUDY 2013

Interesting Findings

Pew Health Online 2013

HEALTH LITERACY…

• The ability to read, understand and act on health information [Pfizer 2002]

• The degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions [Healthy People 2020]

• The degree to which an individual has the capacity to obtain, communicate, process, and understand basic health information and services to make appropriate health decisions [Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, Title V]

WHAT IS THE STRONGEST PREDICTOR OF AN INDIVIDUAL’S HEALTH STATUS?

•Age

• Income

•Employment status

•Education

• Literacy skills

•Racial/Ethnic group

FILL IN THE BLANKS

•One out of ? American adults reads at the 5th grade level or below.

one out of 5

•Most Americans read at the 8th to 9th grade level, yet most health care materials are written above the ? grade level.

10th grade

DISCUSSION

What are the groups thoughts on health literacy and how it impacts the individual and society

WHY IS HEALTH LITERACY SO CRITICAL?

•Essential life skill

•Public health imperative

•Essential part of social capital

•Critical economic issue

Sources: “Navigating Health: The Role of Health Literacy”, Kickbusch

The health literacy of America's adults: Results from the 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy , Kutner et al

Health literacy: An update of public health and medical literature., rudd et al.

EVALUATING WEB SITES

DISCUSSION 2

What are the key elements of web site evaluation?

WEBSITE EVALUATION Accuracy

Authority

Bias

Currency

Coverage

Usability

Privacy

ACCURACY & AUTHORITY

Questions to ask:

Where did the information come from?

Is the information reviewed by experts?

Does the site make unbelievable claims?

Who runs the site?

Is there contact information (for the organization/webmaster?

Is there an editorial board?

What information is found in the “about us” section?

BIAS

Questions to ask:

• Why was the site created?

• What do they want from you?

• Who is paying for the site?

• Does the site’s information favor the sponsor?

• Do “they” want your personal information? What will “they” do with that information?

• Does the site have advertisements? Are the ads labeled?

CURRENCY & COVERAGE

Questions to ask:

Is it up-to-date?

Does the site have a last updated date? What is that date?

Does the site have a last reviewed date? What is that date?

What is the “review policy”?

Are there numerous “broken links” throughout the site?

USABILITY (& PRIVACY)

Questions to ask:

Is the site user friendly?

Easy to navigate?

Does the site ask you for personal information?

Do “they” tell you how personal information will be used?

Are you comfortable with how personal information will be used?

Does the site recommend that one confer with their health professional?

TRUST IT OR NOT (EVALUATION ACTIVITY)

WEBSITE COMPARISON: IT’S FLU SEASON

HTTP://WWW.FLU.GOV/HTTP://WWW.FLUFACTS.COM/INDEX.JSP

TRUST IT OR TRASH IT

Genetic Alliance: http://www.trustortrash.org/

TRUST IT OR TRASH IT?

HOW TO USE TRUST IT OR TRASH IT?

http://www.trustortrash.org/TrustorTrash.pdf

RESOURCES TO EVALUATE WEB SITES

MEDLINEPLUS

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/evaluatinghealthinformation.html

MEDLINEPLUS: WEB SURFING

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/healthywebsurfing.html

EVALUATION TUTORIAL

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/webeval/webeval.html

MEDICAL LIBRARY ASSOCIATION

https://www.mlanet.org/resources/userguide.html

FAMILYDOCTOR.ORG HEALTH INFO ONLINE

http://familydoctor.org/familydoctor/en/healthcare-management/self-care/health-information-on-the-web-finding-reliable-information.printerview.all.html

NCI: EVALUATING INFORMATION

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/cancerlibrary/health-info-online

HEALTH IT.GOV

http://www.healthit.gov/patients-families/find-quality-resources

FDA: EVALUATING HEALTH INFORMATION

http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/BuyingUsingMedicineSafely/BuyingMedicinesOvertheInternet/ucm202863.htm

MEDLINEPLUS MAGAZINE

A quarterly publication of the Friends of the National Library of Medicine.

Get a free subscription!

Libraries can order in bulk

Spanish available also

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/magazine/index.html

http://www.fnlm.org/Program_MLP/MLP_intro.html

INFORMATION RX.ORG

http://informationrx.org/

HEALTHY LIBRARIES – HEALTHY COMMUNITIES

Consider offering health programming @ your library.

Partner with local agencies, Request speakers, apply for NN/LM MAR Funding (HIA), Post community events and/or consider hosting a health fair!

Author Floyd Stokes & Soraya Collins @ Beaver Area Memorial Library – 18 Oct 2014

REFLECTION

• Think of the three most important take home messages from today’s presentation.

• Think of three people to share this information.

For questions regarding the content of this presentation or to request training please contact:NN/LM MAR

nnlmmar@pitt.edu

Developed by NN/LM staff.  This project has been funded in whole or in part with Federal funds from the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, under Contract No. HHS-N-276-2011-00003-C with the University of Pittsburgh-Health Sciences Library

System.

Web site: http://nnlm.gov/marPhone: 1.800.338.7657

1.412.648.2065

Serving Delaware, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania

CONTACT NN/LM MAR