Brainworks featured in Rehab Matters; July, 2010
We use the Internet for a variety of reasons, most notably for email and as an information search utility. From Facebook to Twitter, from blogs to websites, the Internet has evolved from static web pages to a complex and organic online conversation. The Internet, and in particular, social media has been playing an increasingly larger role in providing people with information on health. In “A Second Opinion: Health Information and the Internet,” Underhill & McKeown mention that “since it was launched commercially, the Internet has changed the way Canadians conduct their everyday activities, from viewing weather, news and sports to banking and paying bills. The Internet has also changed the way many Canadians obtain health information, and potentially, their relationships with physicians.” Fox and Jones, in “The Social Life of Health Information” note that “60 percent of American adults search the web for health information.”
“John Q. Public” has been tapping into the Internet to research health concerns, symptoms, treatment options, medication recommendations, and the latest medical research, all in an effort to arm himself with the medical and rehab knowledge he may not be getting elsewhere or simply not as quickly from other sources. But there’s so much information out there, available at the click of a mouse. How much of it is actually credible and reliable? Gauld and Williams note that “Ninety percent of the health Internet users canvassed… believe Internet information is reliable, but only a third check the credentials of information providers,” while Underhill and McKeown mention that “Internet sources of health information (can) range from personal accounts of illnesses and patient discussion groups to clinical decision tools and peer-reviewed journal articles.” Those of us with the capability to ensure the credibility and reliability of information have a responsibility to do just that.
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