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FINDING AND UNDERSTANDING INFORMATION

Project Number: 2021-1-CZ01-KA220-SCH-000024190

How to look for information from reliable sources in person?

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INTRODUCTION

It is said that good information is the best medicine to protect our health. However, information given shallowly or even wrongly can be very dangerous!

This chapter is intended to help you look for health information using reliable sources in person, and today, we're diving into the exciting adventure of finding trustworthy information, so get ready to become expert truth-seekers!

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Unfortunately, fake news in the field of health is nothing new. Especially in recent years after the Covid-19 pandemic, disinformation, understood as the intention to spread false information with the aim of confusing or profiting, has increased so much.

WHY THIS TOPIC?

That is why this topic may be useful if you are looking for health information through:

Personal contacts (family, friends, teachers, acquaintances)

Specialized centers (physicians, health professionals, pediatricians)

Mass media (TV, radio, newspapers)

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Adolescence (10-19 years old) is a unique stage of human development and an important time for laying the foundations of good health.
Adolescents experience rapid physical, cognitive and psychosocial growth. This affects how they feel, think, make decisions, and interact with the world around them.
As a consequence, it is important for adolescents to keep themselves informed about how to stay healthy, adopt healthy behaviors to prevent diseases and to treat them if necessary.

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According to a study conducted by the European Commission, one in two (55 %) EU citizens (aged 16-74) said they have searched online for health information about injury, illness, nutrition, health improvement or similar.

This means that half of EU citizens look for health information through sources that are not online but rely on direct contact with individuals.

IMPORTANT TO KNOW

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PREVENTION
adopting lifestyles to protect your health and the health of others
increasing knowledge about a health problem and its solution
debunking myths and stereotypes
DIAGNOSIS
identifying symptoms and leading them back to a specific disease to be treated
TREATMENT
therapies or medications to treat and recover from an illness, whether physical or mental.
ACCESS TO HEALTH SERVICES
ask about services made available by the local health care system.

KIND OF INFORMATION TO LOOK FOR

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INFORMATION SOURCES IN PERSON

Friends
Classmates
Neighbors

FAMILY

ACQUAINTANCES

SCHOOL

MASS MEDIA

TV
Radio
Newspaper

COMMUNITY HEALTH

Doctors
Nurses
Pharmacists

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Now let’s do some thinking!

How often do you happen to ask for health information?

Teacher can use digital tools to get the answers from students, such as:

https://www.mentimeter.com/

https://docs.google.com/forms/u/0/?tgif=d

or any other tools of preference!

Who do you usually ask for health information?

What topics do you happen to ask about?

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HEALTH PROFESSIONALS providing reliable information

MEDICAL DOCTORS specialized in internal medicine, family practice, or pediatrics, called “generalist”.
OBSTETRICIAN/GYNECOLOGISTS are doctors who specialize in obstetrics and gynecology, including women's health care, wellness, and prenatal care.
NURSE PRACTITIONERS are nurses with graduate training who can serve as a primary care provider in family medicine, pediatrics, adult care.
CLINICAL NURSE SPECIALISTS trained in a field such as cardiac, psychiatric, or community health.
PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT who provides a wide range of services in collaboration with a Doctor of Medicine.

The health care system has professionals in charge of providing the right information as well as the proper care, both basic and specialized.

Below, there are key healthcare professionals you can refer to for reliable information:

is a person you may consult or see first for checkups and health problems. PCPs can help manage your overall health.

There are different providers such as:

Primary Care Provider

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HEALTH PROFESSIONALS providing reliable information

Such as: allergy, cardiology, dermatology, general surgery, orthopedics, physical therapy, radiology, etc…

who prepares and processes drug prescriptions that were written by your primary or specialty care provider.

Pharmacists provide information to people about medicines. They also consult with providers about dosages, interactions, and side effects of medicines. Your pharmacist may also follow your progress to check that you are using your medicine safely and effectively. Pharmacists also can evaluate your health and prescribe medicines.

Pharmacist

Specialty Care Provider

your primary care provider may refer you to professionals in various specialties when necessary,

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In order to assess whether the source of information is reliable, it is worth knowing how the sources are classified:

Primary Sources representing direct information on a given topic (e.g., scientific article, famous professionals).

These sources are not direct, and therefore, in order to understand whether they are reliable or not, you need to understand what primary sources they were based on

Types of Information Sources

Secondary sources that analyze and reprocess direct information (e.g., a newspaper article, a social media post, an article on a hospital website).

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And yet, how to identify reliable information in person?

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The recognition of the name (referred to a person or a publication who stated something about health) is often the first thing you consider to determine reliability. If the name or source is familiar, you may tend to believe the information. If you have never heard of the source, you probably should do some research to learn about it.

…but be careful! Just because you recognize the source does not mean that it is a reliable source.

Believing what is familiar, can steer you in the wrong direction. Do your own research on the main search engine (such as Google) by typing the publication or person’s name.

RECOGNIZE THE SOURCE

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Do you feel unsure about the accuracy of the information?

When you read or listen a statement, how does it make you feel?
Have you said to yourself, “Really?”
Is the argument extreme, or does the article feel balanced and include diverse perspectives?
Does the content seem old and not up-to-date?
Are writers or speakers making statements without making attributions?

Use your critical thinking skills and ask yourself:

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Has the source been used elsewhere or by other reputable people?

Look to see if the information you received was used by someone else. Has it been mentioned in an article in a medical journal? Has the information been used by a healthcare provider or a well-respected television professional?

Determining reliability involves judgment and the development of critical thinking. The more you examine information, the more you become able to distinguish reliable from false information. The support of trusted people will be essential to help you increase your critical thinking skill.

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How close is the information to the primary source?

The closer you are to the source of the information, the more reliable it is. For example, it is better to ask a healthcare provider or read in the official website of a health care institution than to believe a statement or information given by a person you do not know or barely know.
Remember: the closer you are to the source, the more correct the information is. The farther away from the source, the more opinions and interpretations can get away from the truth.
And just when it comes to health, information or advice based on word of mouth can often arrive distorted.