The good news is the World Wide Web provides people like you and me a convenient place to look for health information. The bad news is the World Wide Web provides people like you and me a convenient place to look for health information. More and more Americans are turning to the Internet for medical advice. And just like the real world, the information you receive is only as credible as the source from which you seek it.
Whether it’s WebMD, YouTube or AAKP, you must always consider the source of the information. Is it an organization with a national reputation of providing factual evidence? Or is it a Web site publishing information from someone with little to no experience in the field you are researching? Unfortunately, many of us do not research where and how organizations retrieve the information they so freely spout to the masses.
According to research conducted by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, of the 80 percent of Americans adults who go online looking for health information, only 25 percent check the source and date of the information. And although the majority of those who participated in the survey say they were not injured by the advice they received from the online source, 3-percent said they or someone they knew had been seriously harmed by following the advice or information they found online.
I’ve come across several opinion-based Web sites and the information is based on one person’s opinion, not medical research. I urge you to continue to seek out information about kidney disease. However, I ask you to use caution and only take advice from widely trusted organizations with experts in the field of nephrology and health care. The Internet continues to be a great source of information, but there are many on the Web who seek to prey on our fears. Protect yourself. Rely on widely trusted Internet sites for your educational needs. And always seek the advice of your health care team to reaffirm the information you obtained on the Internet.
AAKP has put together a listing of renal related resources that may help you in your quest for education and information. Visit the AAKP Renal Links Mall to gain access to trusted Web sites with information about kidney disease and its related complications.
Kind regards,
