Evaluating reliable internet health information for cancer patients

Patient Guide to the Worldwide Web

Scenario

Mr. Atkins, 64, arrives at the hospital with his wife complaining that he has not had a bowel movement in over a week, and that he has significant pain in his abdomen. Mr. Atkins has an MRI which shows a significant blockage in his colon. Surgery is suggested and when this is completed Mr. Atkins is told that he has colon cancer and a mass was removed from his colon along with eight inches of the diseased organ. It is then relayed that the cancer has also metastasized to his liver. The Atkins are farmers who have very little to do with computers other than checking weather reports. They both want to learn about the diagnosis and what can be done, but with their limited knowledge of the internet ask a nurse for help.

The patient is very motivated to learn how to use the internet as is his wife because, as they relate, they have never taken anything "lying down." He is not ready to give up yet. The nurse informs them that there are many avenues that can help them, and talks to the Atkins' about their knowledge of the internet. The Atkins admit that they even have difficulty with their email at times, and only know how to get weather reports because it is on what their son calls their homepage. Their son is able to help them if they get stuck.

Criteria

The nurse tells the Atkins that there are hundreds if not thousands of websites that claim to give reliable health information. To wade through this mass of possible reliable information, she presents them with a list of criteria that they should use to evaluate the websites.

The organization that runs the website and who pays for the information posted are both important. If the site has a .com designation it could be funded by a drug company with an agenda. Most reliable sites will have been funded by the NIH or a reputable research institution such as the Mayo Clinic. The NIH designation will be .gov.

Look for original source material that does not have a link back to another site. Some sites just want to have eyes on their pages for advertising purposes. It is better to use the site that originally printed the information.

A website should also offer two things that are of the utmost importance. The author of the piece should be a credentialed professional and should designate this in their bio piece. The article itself should also have links or references to studies that prove the accuracy of the information.

It is important to check the date that the information was published from the original author. Cancer is a diagnosis which has a rapidly advancing universe of potential cures and helps. This means that information can become dated very quickly and new information becomes available almost daily.

Look for links to other sites (which also meet the above criteria) for verification and new information, and do not give out health information unless it is absolutely necessary (NCCAM, 2006)

Credible Site

It is difficult to meet all of the criteria listed on a particular page, but the most important is knowing where the information is coming from to establish the credibility of the website. This website gives much more information than the first, and is found on the website of one of the most prestigious research institutions in the world -- Johns Hopkins Medical Center in Baltimore. The link http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/liver_tumor_center/conditions/cancerous_liver_tumors/colorectal_liver_metastases.html provides the researcher with the most up-to-date information possible because the institution has many of the foremost researchers in the field working there. The information is succinct but complete, and there are many links to other sources of information. The researcher can also go to the parent website to establish the fact that this in fact Johns Hopkins and not someone trying to pass themselves off as such. The information does not have a direct date, but that is not troubling given the reputation of the hospital and university. This is a very credible site.