Welcome to Navigating Health, a place to find guidance in navigating the new world of healthcare information available on the internet.
- When it comes to your health, how do you know what websites have YOUR best interests in mind? Here's a few questions you should ask before trusting a site:
- Who runs the website? This information should be easy to find if the website is reliable. Pay attention to the credentials of those reviewing or writing the information posted on the site.
- Who pays for the website? This can affect the content of the website and there may be bias. If the site address ends in .gov, it is ran and paid for by the government. Similarly, .edu indicates the site is ran and paid for by an educational institution. Non commercial sites end in .org, and commercial sites end in .com.
- What is the purpose of the website? Are they trying to sell you something? Or is the information independent and unbiased?
- Is the source of information presented clearly cited? If the information was gathered from other sources, that material should be cited so the reader can determine validity.
- How current is the information? Practices and advice regarding health change as often as medical research provides new information. The content of the site should be reviewed regularly and updated if needed.
- What is the privacy policy of the website? Most sites will track user activity as a way to know which pages are being read. But if a site asks you to subscribe, pay a fee, or give private information...be wary.
Here's
a few websites that passed the test:
- www.nih.gov - website for the National Institute of Health
- www.cdc.go - website for The Center for Disease Control
- www.medlineplus.gov - sponsored by the National Library of Medicine
- www.healthfinder.gov - sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
- Have you heard of patient portals? They are a very convenient way for you to access and maintain your own health information. Some benefits are:
-
24 hour access to your health information from anywhere with internet connection.
-
Review up to date information from recent Dr. visits, lab results, allergies, immunizations and medications.
-
Exchange messages with your provider, request prescription refills, and schedule appointments.
-
Check insurance benefits, make payments, and update contact information.
-
Does the system require adequate authentication? Password, user name, security question, etc.
-
Is the data encrypted? Data encryption changes electronic information to make it unreadable to unauthorized users.
While
having access to your healthcare portal is convenient, how do you know that this sensitive information is secure? With the
information available electronically as opposed to on
paper, there is the risk of hackers accessing your information or
others who are not authorized. When getting started with you your
patient portal, consider these questions:
- Ever thought of joining an online health related support group? This is not meant to replace regular medical care, and is not the same as group therapy which is led by a professional. But still, virtual support groups can be a great idea for several reasons:
-
Support groups are a place where advice and experiences can be shared by those who are going through similar issues.
-
The online format may vary from educational and structured to simply emotionally supportive and comforting. Either way, it is a place to talk openly and honestly about what you are going through.
-
Sometimes it's helpful to find a circle of support outside of help from family and friends.
When
it comes to virtual support groups, be aware that there are some whose intention is to prey on vulnerable people. Do not give
out sensitive information such as your full name,
address, social security number, etc. For the most part
people are well meaning, but just keep in mind some are not who
they say they are. Also important to consider is the privacy policy of
the website itself.
- healthfinder.gov has an entire page dedicated to support groups, with links for all kinds of groups from depression to Alzheimer's.
- Need a brush up on computer knowledge so that you can take advantage of all these great options? I've covered a few of the bases:
- Internet Service Providers: this is the company you pay to get your internet. An example would be Comcast or Utopia.
- Wireless Access: wireless access is just what it sounds like. In this case it is referring to wireless internet access, or accessing the internet without needing a wired connection. This is achieved by using a router which enables multiple devices in your network to access the internet.
- Web Browsers: software that is needed to access the internet and present, retrieve, or search for information. Examples of web browser's are Google Chrome or Internet Explorer.
- Memory (RAM): this is the part of your computer that stores data in a way that allows you to easily retrieve information relevant to applications you are currently using. It does not store data long term.
- The Cloud: the "cloud" is used to store and access data on the internet as opposed to a hard drive or other physical storage option. One example of using the cloud is this blog. Information on this blog is saved on the internet and accessible from anywhere there is an internet connection.
References
Christenssen, P. (2013, January 3). What is the
difference between a router and a modem? Retrieved September 26, 2016, from
http://pc.net/helpcenter/answers/difference_between_router_and_modem
Finding and Evaluating Online Resources | NCCIH. (n.d.). Retrieved November 02, 2016, from https://nccih.nih.gov/health/webresources
HealthIT.gov. (n.d.). Retrieved November 02, 2016, from https://www.healthit.gov/providers-professionals/faqs/what-patient-portal
How To Evaluate Health Information on the Internet: Questions and Answers. (n.d.). Retrieved November 02, 2016,https://ods.od.nih.gov/Health_Information/How_To_Evaluate_Health_Information_on_the_Internet_Questions_and_Answers.aspx
Meingast,
M., Roosta, T., & Sastry, S. (n.d.). Security and Privacy Issues with Health
Care Information ... Retrieved November 3, 2016, from
http://cs.jhu.edu/~sdoshi/jhuisi650/discussion/secprivhealthit.pdf
Random-access memory. (n.d.). Retrieved September 29, 2016, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Random-access_memory
Staff, B. M. (2015, April 11). Stress management. Retrieved November 03, 2016, from http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/support-groups/art-20044655
Support Groups. (n.d.). Retrieved November 04, 2016, from https://healthfinder.gov/FindServices/SearchContext.aspx?topic=833
