These Are the Best (and Worst) Sources of Health News and Information on the Web

Best sources of health news and information on the web: Understanding the criteria

More than 70 percent of us search online for information about health conditions and medical treatments, according to Pew research, but what if the information we gather is inaccurate, incomplete, or just plain false? It’s not always easy to tell, says Gary Schwitzer, Publisher of HealthNewsReview.org and an Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. Schwitzer’s site keeps health reporters honest by reviewing news coverage and press releases across multiple sites. Scores are based on 10 criteria including discussion of cost, analysis of risks and benefits, mention of alternative treatments, reliance on scare tactics or disease mongering, as well as whether the writer grasps and explains the quality of the research or study, quotes relevant independent sources, and identifies any conflict of interest. The site also assesses whether the article is simply a regurgitated press release or original reporting, how novel the treatment really is, and whether the new idea is available yet (or did the story make an early trial sound like it was something available at the corner drug store?). Schwitzer’s team has been doing this for almost 12 years and has accrued quite a lot of information about the best and worst sources of health news in the process. (Note: They don’t rate Rd.com.)