How to Identify High-Quality Health Information Online��iCON Digital Health Literacy, 2023

(Author unknown, n.d.)

Acknowledgements

This digital health literacy curriculum was developed by The University of British Columbia’s interCultural Online health Network (iCON).

iCON is supported by the B.C. Ministry of Health’s Patients as Partners initiative.

iCON has been working with multicultural communities for over 10 years.

iCON helps people with chronic disease self-management.

iCON also helps people develop digital literacy in order to access, assess, and use health resources online.

Thank you to the BC Ministry of Health Patients as Partners Initiative for their support.

Webinar outline:

• More Reliable (Higher Quality) and Less Reliable (Lower Quality) Healthcare Information
• How to Find More Reliable Healthcare Information Online
• Practice Finding More Reliable Healthcare Information
• Summary

What are Green Flags and Red Flags ?

• Green Flags are symbols that suggest the website is more reliable.

What are Green Flags and Red Flags ?

• Green Flags are symbols that suggest the website is more reliable.

• Red Flags are symbols that suggest the website is less reliable.

What are Green Flags and Red Flags ?

• Green Flags are symbols that suggest the website is more reliable.

• Red Flags are symbols that suggest the website is less reliable.

• Some websites may have some Green Flags and some Red Flags .

What are Green Flags and Red Flags ?

Green Flags : more reliable. Red Flags : less reliable.

More Reliable

Less reliable

May or may not be reliable

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☺

☺

More Reliable and Less Reliable Online Healthcare Information

More Reliable and Less Reliable Online Healthcare Information

More Reliable Information:

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• Tries to educate and share accurate information.

​

Less Reliable Information:

​

• Tries to get money or sell products.

☺

More Reliable and Less Reliable Online Healthcare Information

More Reliable Information:

​

• Tries to educate and share accurate information.

​

• Is from experts, and is checked by other experts.

Less Reliable Information:

​

• Tries to get money or sell products.

​

• Is not from experts, and is not checked by other experts.

☺

More Reliable and Less Reliable Online Healthcare Information

More Reliable Information:

​

• Tries to educate and share accurate information.

​

• Is from experts, and is checked by other experts.

​

• Is current and up to date.

Less Reliable Information:

​

• Tries to get money or sell products.

​

• Is not from experts, and is not checked by other experts.

​

• Is not up to date and may have incorrect information.

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How to Find More Reliable Health Information Online

(DragonImages, n.d.)

It is important to learn how to find more reliable health information online, such as for self-management of conditions including:

• Bone Disease
• Dementia
• Diabetes
• Heart Disease
• Liver Disease
• Mental Wellness
• Stroke

(Poungsaed_eco, n.d.)

To start, use a search engine to find information.

Websites with these endings might be more reliable:

website.gov = government information

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website.org = usually a not-for-profit organization

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website.edu = an educational institution such as a university

Websites with this ending might be less reliable:

website.com = a commercial business

This is a government website.

This website is an organization.

This website is also an organization.

. gov

​

This website is educating people.

It answers your questions about the flu.

​

There are no advertisements.

This website is sharing reliable online health information.

This web page has a date. It is current and up to date.

This website is for a business. They are selling a product, with an option to “Buy Now”.

This website is for a business. It is asking for your credit card information, and asking for money.

These are ads. The website is trying to make money.

Does the website answer your question?

This website is a business. It does not answer your question. It is selling a product.

Sometimes Google will label ads.

🗶 This is an advertisement.

Information from experts does not have spelling mistakes.

Most posts on forums are not from experts. Anyone (often not experts) can post an answer on a forum.

This website is also a forum. Forums often have a question and answer format.

Review: More Reliable and Less Reliable Online Healthcare Information

More Reliable Information:

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• Tries to educate and share accurate information.

​

• Is from experts, and is checked by other experts.

​

• Is current and up to date.

​

• Possible website endings: website.gov, website.org, website.edu

Less Reliable Information:

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• Tries to get money or sell products.

​

• Is not from experts, and is not checked by other experts.

​

• Is not up to date and may have incorrect information.

​

• Possible website ending: website.com

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Practice Finding More Reliable Healthcare Information

(KaikaTaaK, n.d.)

Example #1:

​

You take Ramipril for high blood pressure.

https://elements.envato.com/red-white-color-capsules-medication-on-pink-backgr-SANN4SD

(Seventyfourimages, n.d.)

(Rawf8, n.d.)

Can you take Advil and Ramipril together ?

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or

(Wavebreakmedia, n.d.(a))

Type the important words into a search bar.

Look For More Reliable Online Healthcare Information.

More Reliable Information:

​

• Tries to educate and share accurate information.

​

• Is from experts, and is checked by other experts.

​

• Is current and up to date.

​

• Possible website endings: website.gov, website.org, website.edu

Less Reliable Information:

​

• Tries to get money or sell products.

​

• Is not from experts, and is not checked by other experts.

​

• Is not up to date and may have incorrect information.

​

• Possible website ending: website.com

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Look at the website ending. Is this a reliable website?

Look at the website ending. Is this a reliable website?

.org

​

No ads

Not asking for payment

https://choosingwiselycanada.org/pain-medicines/

This website is sharing reliable online health information.

This website is educating us and answering our questions.

There are no grammar or spelling mistakes.

Example # 2: You are depressed.

Can some foods help you feel better ?

(Ckstockphoto, n.d.)

(Dumlao, 2020)

Type the important words into a search bar.

Look at the website ending. Is this a reliable website?

Look at the website ending. Is this a reliable website?

Is this a reliable website?

Look at the website ending and Ad label. Is this a reliable website?

.com

Labelled as an Ad

Selling supplements

Example # 3: You are trying to lower your blood sugar.

(Wavebreakmedia, n.d.(b))

Type the important words into a search bar.

.com

​

There are multiple ads

No date

https://website-example.com/health/how-to-lower-blood-sugar

This website is sharing less reliable online health information.

.gov

​

No ads

​

Date

​

https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/managing/manage-blood-sugar.html

This website is sharing more reliable online health information.

Summary

(Wavebreakmedia, n.d.(c))

Review: More Reliable and Less Reliable Online Healthcare Information

More Reliable Information:

​

• Tries to educate and share accurate information.

​

• Is from experts, and is checked by other experts.

​

• Is current and up to date.

​

• Possible website endings: website.gov, website.org, website.edu

Less Reliable Information:

​

• Tries to get money or sell products.

​

• Is not from experts, and is not checked by other experts.

​

• Is not up to date and may have incorrect information.

​

• Possible website ending: website.com

☺

Altmann, G. (n.d.). [No title]. Retrieved from: https://pixabay.com/photos/heart-curve-health-healthy-pulse-3689233/

Author unknown. (n.d.). Healthcare facility management. Retrieved from: https://www.pinclipart.com/downpngs/TobJxm_healthcare-facility-management-clipart/

DragonImages. (n.d.). Senior woman working on computer. Retrieved from: https://elements.envato.com/senior-woman-working-on-computer-78ESECB

Dumlao, N. (2020). [No title]. Retrieved from: https://unsplash.com/photos/bRdRUUtbxO0

KaikaTaaK. (n.d.). Candid old Asian retired couple use tablet computer to transfer money online. Retrieved from: https://elements.envato.com/candid-old-asian-retired-couple-use-tablet-compute-DWLH8SH

Poungsaed_eco. (n.d.). Old couples practice using laptops for online shopping and payments. Retrieved from: https://elements.envato.com/old-couples-practice-using-laptops-for-online-shop-2ZW59R4

Rawf8. (n.d.). Red white color capsules medication on pink background. Retrieved from: https://elements.envato.com/red-white-color-capsules-medication-on-pink-backgr-SANN4SD

Seventyfourimages. (n.d.). Measuring Blood Pressure. Retrieved from: https://elements.envato.com/measuring-blood-pressure-EHGC49P

Wavebreakmedia. (n.d.(a)) Senior man taking medicine in bathroom. Retrieved from: https://elements.envato.com/senior-man-taking-medicine-in-bathroom-DNPDVQL

Wavebreakmedia. (n.d.(b)). Mature male doctor examining senior woman with glucometer at clinic at retirement home. Retrieved from: https://elements.envato.com/mature-male-doctor-examining-senior-woman-with-glu-STH6BXC

Wavebreakmedia. (n.d.(c)). Senior couple using laptop in living room. Retrieved from: https://elements.envato.com/senior-couple-using-laptop-in-living-room-5TQXS9W

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Note: screen captures were provided by iCON on slides 3, 8, 14, 16-29, 36-39, 41-45, 47-49.

Image Credits

Thank you again to :

Thank you to the BC Ministry of Health Patients as Partners Initiative for their support.

© 2020 The University of British Columbia.

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The work is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

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It was created by UBC Digital Emergency Medicine. For permissions to use this work for commercial purposes please contact The University of British Columbia’s University-Industry Liaison Office.