DQ2 Week 1 How do you determine if a piece of health care information is reliable Include an example of one reliable and one unreliable source that your classmates have not already used When researching whether or not health care information is reliable or credible several factors should come into play 1 2 3 What are the professional credentials of the author of the information Is this a peer reviewed journal article or other form of health medical industry study Is the information provided been supported by the American Medical Association The Food and Drug Administration or other professional groups within the health care arena 4 Can the information be verified By factual data or references to provide you with further avenues to research the authentication of the information Is the health care information fact based or just an opinion When was the information published Or is the information published at all 5 6 Often times people will take health care information from a he said she said and take it as the truth However just because something is posted on a website on a flyer or even on television does not mean the information is all completely true or legitimate For example if I wanted to know something about smoking and the effects it has on one s health I would look towards a reputable resource s for the truth In this case I would look to the American Lung Association www lungusa org website s which have a lot to say but not much that one can actually take as the truth Such as this website which offers numerous statistics images and data however not one reference as to where the information came from http whyquit com joel joel 02 17 smoke in lung html not a blog such as answers google com or other Response 2 To determine the reliability or validity of health care information you must consider Credentials are extremely important However they should be validated There are some great resources for validation such as the State Medical Board to validate medical schooling and licensing Care should also be placed in the age of the data to ensure the most current and valid information is being provided What is the intent of the data Are there hidden agendas that sway the information Is the data supported by facts and the process in which they were gathered and presented measured Conduct additional research to support the information http www healthfinder gov is a reliable source There are sponsors ability to contact the site and disclaimers indicating the data is reliable and the most current available They have a steering committee sponsored by Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion quality guidelines name of site stated purpose advertising limitations and guidelines and health data posted is validated and approved and website feedback WebMD is considered a reliable source that provides medical information via search options such as physical location symptoms or name of illness I would say it is a cautionary reliable source and should be used as a tool and not as a means to manage your health The site provides results to entering generic symptoms that are often not indication of a major illness or underlying to another illness The site has a disclaimer that they do not provide medical advice however many accessing are using for that purpose