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Link to a page with information about buying medicines online, avoiding health fraud, recent safety alerts, warnings and enforcement actions, and reporting problems with FDA-regulated products

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Any Web site should make it easy for you to learn who is responsible for the site and its information (see Question 1).

If the person or organization in charge of the Web site did not write the material, the Web site should clearly identify the original source of the information (see Question 4).

Health-related Web sites should give information about the medical credentials of the people who have prepared or reviewed the material on the site (see Question 6).

Any Web site that asks you for personal information should explain exactly what the site will and will not do with that information (see Question 9).

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Federal Trade Commission are federal government agencies that help protect consumers from false or misleading health claims on the Internet (see Question 12).

The growing popularity of the Internet has made finding health information easier and faster. Much of the information on the Internet is valuable; however, the Internet also allows rapid and widespread distribution of false and misleading information. You should carefully consider the source of information you find on the Internet and discuss that information with your health care provider. This fact sheet can help you decide whether the health information you find on the Internet or receive by e-mail is likely to be reliable.

1. What information about users does the Web site collect, and why?

Web sites routinely track the path users take through their sites to determine what pages people are viewing. However, many health-related Web sites also ask users to "subscribe" to or "become a member" of the site. Sites sometimes do this to collect a user fee or select relevant information for the user. The subscription or membership might allow the Web site owner to collect personal information about the user.

Any Web site asking you for personal information should explain exactly what the site will and will not do with the information. Many commercial sites sell "aggregate" data-such as what percent of their users take dietary supplements-about their users to other companies. In some cases, sites collect and reuse information that is "personally identifiable," such as your ZIP code, gender, and birth date. Be certain to read and understand any privacy policy or similar language on the site and do not sign up for anything that you do not fully understand.

2. How does the U.S. federal government protect consumers from false or misleading health claims posted on the Internet?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates foods, including dietary supplements. The FDA monitors food product labels, claims, package inserts, and accompanying literature. FDA publications that can help you evaluate health information include Tips for Dietary Supplement Users and FDA 101: Health Fraud Awareness .

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) enforces consumer protection laws and regulates dietary supplement advertising. As part of its mission, the FTC investigates complaints about false or misleading health claims posted on the Internet.

The Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) of the National Institutes of Health stimulates and supports research on dietary supplements, distributes the results of research on dietary supplements, and provides educational material on dietary supplements, including fact sheets on dietary supplements and other reliable health information.

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Office of Dietary Supplements - How To Evaluate Health Information on the Internet: Questions and Answers

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Any Web site should make it easy for you to learn who is responsible for the site and its information (see Question 1). If the person or organization in charge of the Web site did not write the material, the Web site should clearly identify the original source of the information (see Question 4).

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Facebook to YouTube - Social Media, the Web and Your Health

Millions of consumers are using digital media to get health information, applications to monitor health conditions, and social media to find people who share similar health-related concerns and experiences. Some of this information will be up-to-date and trustworthy; some will not. How can you tell the good from the bad?

Tweeting, Posting, and Downloading Health Information

The use of social media for health communication is on the rise - both as a resource for consumers and as an outreach tool for health care providers.

Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and other forms of social media provide an opportunity for consumers to share information about personal health experiences and seek information from others. Mobile apps provide a convenient way for users to track health-related information and activities; including when and what medications to take, blood sugar levels, and blood pressure, for example.

According to the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, social networks can benefit patients and caregivers in providing, among other things:

support

specialized knowledge from peers

improved outcomes.

However, like Web sites, not all social media outlets are safe and reliable. Many of the steps that should be taken to evaluate the safety and reliability of a Web site should also be used when using social media. For example: Is a product being offered for sale? Is the discussion about a new "miracle" treatment? Or is the source of the discussion or information unclear? Users also must be careful of medical misinformation - information that is outdated or based on word of mouth. Personal blogs and Twitter sites that discuss health matters are seldom, if ever, regulated.

Use caution when using Web sites and social media as a tool in your health care and always contact your health care provider before following medical advice or taking products promoted on the internet.

Helpful Resources
Healthfinder
This DHHS site provides resources on a wide range of health topics selected from approximately 1,400 government and non-profit organizations.

MEDLINEplus

This consumer-oriented Web site established by the National Library of Medicine provides information about diseases, conditions, and wellness issues.
MEDLINEplus Evaluating Health Information
This MEDLINEplus page provides information on evaluating the reliability of health information found online, in magazines and on television.
ClinicalTrials.gov
This site, created by the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, provides patients, family members, and members of the public with easy access to information on publicly and privately supported clinical studies on a wide range of diseases and conditions.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
The FTC enforces consumer protection laws. The agency investigates complaints about false and misleading health claims posted online. This site provides information on health and fitness related fraud.

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Facebook to YouTube - Social Media, the Web and Your Health Millions of consumers are using digital media to get health information, applications to monitor health conditions, and social media to find people who share similar health-related concerns and experiences. Some of this information will be up-to-date and trustworthy; some will not.

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National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health

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National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health

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What's the Bottom Line?

How much do we know about online resources for complementary health approaches?

The number of Web and social media sites, along with mobile apps, offering health information about complementary and integrative health approaches (often called complementary and alternative medicine) grows every day.

What do we know about the accuracy of online health information?

Some online sources of information on complementary health approaches are useful, but others are inaccurate or misleading.

Don't rely on online resources when making decisions about your health. If you're considering a complementary health approach, discuss it with your health care provider.

Checking Out Online Sources of Health Information: Five Quick Questions

If you're visiting an online health site for the first time or downloading a new app, ask these five questions:

1. Who runs or created the site or app? Can you trust them?

2. What is the site or app promising or offering? Do its claims seem too good to be true?

3. When was its information written or reviewed? Is it up-to-date?

4. Where does the information come from? Is it based on scientific research?

5. Why does the site or app exist? Is it selling something?

Finding Health Information on the Internet: How To Start

If you're looking for information about complementary and integrative health approaches:

Finding Health Information on Social Media

About one-third of American adults use social networking sites, such as Facebook or Twitter, as a source of health information. If you do:

Check the sponsor's Web site.
Health information on social networking sites is often very brief. For more information, go to the sponsoring organization's Web site. On Twitter, look for a link to the Web site in the header; on Facebook, look in the About section.

Verify that social media accounts are what they claim to be.

Some social networking sites have a symbol that an account has been verified. For example, Twitter uses a blue badge.

Use the link from the organization's official Web site to go to its social networking sites.

Finding Health Information on Mobile Health Apps

There are thousands of mobile apps (a software program you access using your phone or other mobile device) that provide health information you can read on your mobile devices. Almost 20 percent of smartphone owners had at least one health app on their phones in 2012.

Keep these things in mind when using a mobile health app:

The content of most apps isn't written or reviewed by medical experts and may be inaccurate and unsafe. In addition, the information you enter when using an app may not be secure.

There's little research on the benefits, risks, and impact of health apps, such as the many mindfulness meditation apps that are now available.

It's not always easy to know what personal information an app will access or how it will store your data.

Before you download an app, find out if the store you get the app from says who created it. Don't trust the app if contact or Web site information for the creator isn't available.

Some of the health information you'll find online is in the form of news reports. Some of these reports are reliable, but others are confusing, conflicting, or misleading, or they may be missing important information. To find out how to evaluate news stories about complementary health, visit our interactive module Know the Science: The Facts About Health News Stories.

More Questions To Ask When Finding Health Information on Web Sites

Your search for online health information may start at a known, trusted site, but after following several links, you may find yourself on an unfamiliar site. Can you trust this site? Here are some key questions you need to ask.

Who runs and pays for the Web site?

Any reliable health-related Web site should make it easy for you to learn who's responsible for the site. For example, on the NCCIH Web site, each major page identifies NCCIH and, because NCCIH is part of NIH, provides a link to the NIH home page. You should be able to find out who runs a Web site and its purpose on the "About Us" page.

A Web address (such as NCCIH's) that ends in ".gov" means it's a government-sponsored site; ".edu" indicates an educational institution; ".org" usually means a noncommercial organization and ".com" a commercial organization. Some ".org" sites belong to organizations that promote an agenda; their content may be biased.

Who pays for the site? Does the site sell advertising? Is it sponsored by a company that sells dietary supplements, drugs, or other products or services? Confirm any information you find on a site that sells products with an independent site that doesn't sell products.

What's the source of the information?

Many health or medical sites post information collected from other Web sites or sources, which should be identified. For example, the Health Topics A-Z page on the NCCIH site provides links to documents that NCCIH didn't create-but we name the sources of the documents.

How do you know if the information is accurate?

The site should describe the evidence (such as articles in medical journals) that the material is based on. Also, opinions or advice should be clearly set apart from information that's "evidence-based" (based on research results). For example, if a site discusses health benefits you can expect from a treatment, look for references to scientific research that clearly support what's said.

Keep in mind that testimonials, anecdotes, unsupported claims, and opinions aren't the same as objective, evidence-based information.

Is the information reviewed by experts?

You can be more confident in the quality of medical information on a Web site if health experts reviewed it. Some Web sites have an editorial board that reviews content. Others put the names and credentials of reviewers in an Acknowledgments section near the end of the page.

How current is the information?

Outdated medical information can be misleading or even dangerous. Responsible health Web sites review and update much of their content on a regular basis, especially fact sheets and lists of frequently asked questions (FAQs). However, content such as news reports or meeting summaries that describe an event usually isn't updated. To find out whether information is old, look for a date on the page (it's often near the bottom).

What's the site's policy about linking to other sites?

Some sites don't link to any other sites, some link to any site that asks or pays for a link, and others link only to sites that meet certain criteria. You may be able to find information on the site about its linking policy. (For example, NCCIH's linking policy is available on the NCCIH Web Site Information and Policies page.)

Unless the site's linking policy is strict, don't assume that the sites that it links to are reliable. You should evaluate the linked sites just as you would any other site that you're visiting for the first time.

How does the site collect and handle personal information? Is the site secure?

Web sites track what pages you're looking at. They may also ask you to "subscribe" or "become a member." Any credible site collecting this kind of information should tell you exactly what it will and won't do with it.

Many commercial sites sell "aggregate" (collected) data about their users to other companies-information such as what percentage of their users are women over 40. In some cases, they may collect and reuse information that's "personally identifiable," such as your ZIP Code, gender, and birth date.

Read any privacy policy or similar language on the site, and don't sign up for anything you don't fully understand. You can find NCCIH's privacy policy on the NCCIH Web site.

See if the address (URL) for the site starts with "https://" instead of "http://." Sites that use HTTPS (Secure Hyper Text Transfer Protocol) are encrypted, less likely to be hacked, and more likely to protect your privacy.

Can you communicate with the owner of the Web site?

You should always be able to contact the site owner if you run across problems or have questions or feedback. If the site hosts online discussion forums or message boards, it should explain the terms of use.

Is it safe to link to Twitter or Facebook through a Web site?

If the site is linked to social networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook, or YouTube, spend some time reading what has been posted to see whether you feel comfortable with the tone before joining in. You may also be able to review past discussions. For example, NCCIH has an archive of Twitter and Facebook chats. Also, look for a comments policy on the Web site, such as NCCIH's social media comments policy.

More information about online health resources is available from the following sources:

Are You Reading News or Advertising?

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has warned the public about fake online news sites. The site may look real, but is actually an advertisement. The site may use the logos of legitimate news organizations or similar names and Web addresses. To get you to sign up for whatever they're selling, they may describe an "investigation" into the effectiveness of the product. But everything is fake: there is no reporter, no news organization, and no investigation. Only the links to a sales site are real. Fake news sites have promoted questionable products, including acai berry for weight loss, work-at-home opportunities, and debt reduction plans.

You should suspect that a news site may be fake if it:

Endorses a product. Real news organizations generally don't do this.

Only quotes people who say good things about the product.

Presents research findings that seem too good to be true. (If something seems too good to be true, it usually is.)

Contains links to a sales site.

Includes only positive reader comments, and you can't add a comment of your own.

Read more information about fake news sites

How To Protect Yourself From Fake News Sites

If you suspect that a news site is fake, look for a disclaimer somewhere on the page (often in small print) that indicates that the site is an advertisement. Also, don't rely on Internet news reports when making important decisions about your health. If you're considering a health product described in the news, discuss it with your health care provider.

Read more information about health fraud

More to Consider

If you're thinking about using a dietary supplement, first get information on it from reliable sources. Keep in mind that dietary supplements may interact with medications or other supplements and may contain ingredients not listed on the label. Your health care provider can advise you.

Take charge of your health-talk with your health care providers about any complementary health approaches you use. Together, you can make shared, well-informed decisions.

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The number of Web and social media sites, along with mobile apps, offering health information about complementary and integrative health approaches (often called complementary and alternative medicine) grows every day. Some online sources of information on complementary health approaches are useful, but others are inaccurate or misleading.

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Evaluating Internet Health Information: A Tutorial from the National Library of Medicine