Online health search tips

Widespread access to the internet has significantly increased the quantity of information available to us. We’re no longer confined to books, what’s on the evening news or the words of consultants and professionals. Instead, we can go hunting for ourselves. Whether you’re refurbishing your house, looking for a new job or trying to buy a digital camera, you now have the opportunity to be better informed and to make better decisions about what you need.

However, armed with Google, it’s also possible to become obsessed. Nowhere is this truer than when it comes to health. You can search symptoms, browse lists of diseases and find out about the rarest of health conditions, and with the slightest bit of imagination it’s easy to convince yourself minor symptoms are the first sign of an incurable disease.

The nature of the internet, evolving web technologies and easy-to-use software also mean anyone with a small amount of tech savviness can start a website. Social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok have made it possible for anyone to post information and opinions. While some of this is useful and informative, a lot isn’t.

One of the hardest aspects of using the internet is working out how to find the good stuff. What’s available online and what would you benefit from reading? Plus, how do you sort out the rubbish from the gold to find digital health information that’s useful to you?

Where to start?

There is some wonderful information available online as long as you know where to look. You can search out the right weight loss plan for you and join exercise Forums to keep you motivated and on track with your fitness goals. While on other sites, you can ask questions of health professionals, work out what’s for dinner and research treatment options for different health conditions.

There are more than 100 million websites on the internet. Type almost any word into Google and you’ll get thousands, if not millions, of responses. The sheer quantity of information is overwhelming. Among these results will be relevant information, but there will also be a lot of dross. Therefore one of the basic skills to master when using the internet is how to find the good stuff. There are three strategies for doing this:

• Use the websites of respected independent bodies and health authorities.
• Learn how to quickly assess the quality of websites.
• Build up a network of trusted sites and use these to filter health information.

Respected websites and health authorities

When researching, start with the websites of independent bodies and health authorities. Good places to begin include:

• The ABC website’s health category — www.abc.net.au/health
• The Victorian government’s Better Health Channel — www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au
• Wikipedia — en.wikipedia.org (Though be careful with this site as the information is user-generated and not always fact-checked.)
• The BBC website’s health category — www.bbc.co.uk/health
• The Heart Foundation — www.heartfoundation.org.au
• British Nutrition Foundation — www.nutrition.org.uk
• WebMd — www.webmd.com
• Wellbeing magazine — www.wellbeing.com.au

The websites mentioned in the Respected Websites box yield information that’s well researched and clearly explained. Some of it’s also slightly conservative, but these are excellent places to start. The ABC and BBC also provide links to discussions on current health topics and they podcast and provide transcripts to a range of their TV and radio programs.

Where you go next depends on what you’re looking for. The internet provides many opportunities to find out information, connect with others who are doing the same and make sense of the latest health research. Don’t limit yourself to the above websites, as delving deeper can pay dividends.

How to assess websites

The internet is a haven for misinformation, rumour and unusual opinions and when you’re researching health information, you’ll come across much of this. It’s in your interest to be able to quickly assess the validity of what you’re reading and there are five basic questions to ask yourself when looking at a new website:

1. Whose writing are you reading? Articles should include the name of the author, while most websites have an “About” or “Contact us” page, which indicates who’s behind the site. Are these people credible when it comes to health information?
2. Is it a personal opinion? Much of what’s available on the internet is based on personal opinion and written to persuade. Opinion pieces can be both interesting and useful but also have a potential for bias. Does the author have any authority or credentials in the area they’re writing about?
3. Are advertisers more important than readers? Advertising is an important income stream for many people online. However, if you have to search among the advertising to find the content, it’s wise to be cautious. These sites are putting advertising above their service, which may affect the bias and independence of their information.
4. Does the website cite sources? Another benchmark is whether a writer refers to their sources. References to scientific research, to health authorities and leading opinion makers provide an indication of the quality of information on offer.
5. How old is the information? A site that hasn’t been updated for years is generally less credible and useful than a website that’s active and updated regularly. Look for sites that have been updated within the past few months.Going beyond the most basic information is where it becomes useful to have a network of sites you trust. Taking these as your starting point, you can follow links and references and use them as a filter on the volume of useless information available online.

   While blogs started out as online diaries, they have become one of the fastest growing and most interesting features of the internet. In the health arena both interested amateurs and health professionals are using blogs to provide comment and analysis on health topics. Once you’ve found bloggers whose opinions you know and trust, they can become the conduit to finding further perspectives and resources.

   Social networking sites can also provide a filter on the internet. For example StumbleUpon and Digg enable you to channel surf the web, linking up with others, sharing discoveries and talking to people with similar interests.

    

   What’s available online?

   If you are prepared to delve deeper online, there is a wealth of information available that can help you improve your health and enrich your life. News sites such as The Sydney Morning Herald (www.smh.com.au) and Reuters (www.reuters.com) have health sections on their websites. These track news stories and provide up-to-date information on research and health findings. For analysis and commentary on the news, two of the best sites are Guardian (www.guardian.co.uk) in the UK and The New York Times (nytimes.com). Both have interesting columns, attract leading opinion makers and writers and are home to some of the most interesting discussions on current health topics.

   Whenever a new health story is released, you can be sure that within hours it’s being discussed on blogs. Among this debate there will be people who provide fresh perspectives, well-thought-out commentary and intelligent critique of health trends and news stories. Most blogs allow and encourage reader interaction, so you can take part in the debate.

   For example, research into obesity can seem contradictory and confusing. Two blogs stand out in providing intelligent analysis. Obesity in the News (www.obesityheadlines.wordpress.com) and Weighty Matters (www.bmimedical.blogspot.com) go beyond the hype to provide excellent commentary, examining trends and providing perspective on the latest headlines.

   If you want to find out what bloggers are saying on a specific news topic, do a Google blog search (www.blogsearch.google.com.au) or have a look at the blog directory Technorati (technorati.com).

   5 great news sites

   These places will help you make sense of health news:

   • Obesity in the News — www.obesityheadlines.wordpress.com
   • Weighty Matters — www.bmimedical.blogspot.com
   • The New York Times — www.nytimes.com
   • Guardian’s Life & Health site — www.lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk
   • Women’s Health News — www.womenshealthnews.wordpress.com

    

   Finding support online

   When something goes wrong or you want to improve your health, having a support network can provide both the encouragement and accountability you need to stay on track. When Shauna Reid realised she needed to lose 80kg she started the blog The Amazing Adventures of Dietgirl (www.dietgirl.org). “I was so overwhelmed by the task but didn’t feel I knew anyone in the ‘real world’ who could relate to such a huge weight problem. I started blogging as a means of venting about the ups and downs of the process.”

   Since 2001, she has tracked her diet changes, weight loss successes and failures, and her discovery of exercise, with startling honesty and humour. The anonymity of the internet allowed her to speak freely, but also led to the discovery of an online support network as she connected with others who had experienced her frustrations. Online accountability kept her on track. “If I went quiet for a few days, I’d have people email to ask if I’d fallen into a bag of chips,” she jokes.

   This has also been the experience of people with other health conditions. When newly diagnosed with a food allergy, while professional bodies like The Coeliac Society (www.coeliac.org.au) have fact sheets and resources online, most people are still left with the confusing question, “What can I eat?” Online there are people living with food allergies who are writing about their experiences. Both Gluten-Free Girl (www.glutenfreegirl.blogspot.com) and Gluten-Free Goddess (www.glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com) are written by people with coeliac. Their blogs cover how they live gluten-free and have built up a wonderful resource of gluten-free recipes.

   Whatever your health issue, someone will be writing about it online. There are bloggers with depression, bipolar disorder, diabetes, chronic fatigue, IBS … the list goes on. These are also bloggers with children, partners, busy jobs — the same lives we all lead. They can be a wonderful resource and support.

    

   5 ways to find support

   It’s easy to find others who know what you’re going through and can offer experience and advice.

   • Start a blog and write about your experiences — try Blogger (www.blogger.com) or WordPress (www.wordpress.org)
   • Join a Myspace group and talk to others — www.myspace.com
   • Read and comment on the blogs of people with the same health concerns
   • Take a look at the websites of professional bodies — many host support groups online
   • Use Facebook to find others with the same health concerns — www.facebook.com

    

   Nutrition & diet

   Even if you don’t have a food allergy, working out what to eat can still be confusing. Do an internet search on almost any food or nutrition term and you’ll get back thousands of responses. The internet is full of industry bodies, lobby groups and private individuals, many of whom cannot be relied on to provide accurate, well-informed and disinterested information.

   Sites like Medscape (www.medscape.com) provide access to the latest research, but most of it is written in technical medical-speak. Other sites provide theoretical advice, but there is often a failure to translate these guidelines into day-to-day practice. As Sophie from the UK blog Mostly Eating (www.mostlyeating.com) says, “All that science is useless to most, unless you can translate it into food that people would like to eat.” This is the reason why I set up my blog, Limes & Lycopene (www.kathrynelliott.com.au). Through providing information, resources and recipes, I try to give practical solutions to the question of how to eat well in today’s world.

   A number of websites provide balanced and useful information. The Harvard School of Public Health’s Nutrition Sourcewww.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource), translates research into practical dietary solutions. Professor Wahlqvist from Monash University is one of the experts behind the Healthy Eating Club (www.healthyeatingclub.com), which publishes fact sheets and dietary assessment tools. The British Nutrition Foundation (www.nutrition.org.uk) is another site deciphering a range of nutrition topics, including how to read food labels.

   Passion for Health (www.passionforhealth.org) provides excellent resources, including a weight loss guide and information on what to eat and how to exercise, along with their wonderful e-book Habit Guide. Their focus is on the belief that “the positive experiences of life; energy, laughter, feeling good, have a lot to do with your choices and your habits”.

    

   5 food sites

   These sites to help you work out what to eat:

   • Harvard School of Public Health Nutrition Source site — www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource
   • Health Eating Club — healthyeatingclub.com
   • Passion for Health passionforhealth.org
   • British Nutrition Foundation — www.nutrition.org.uk
   • Limes & Lycopene — www.kathrynelliott.com.au

    

   What’s for dinner?

   You don’t need to buy cookbooks any more. There’s now a huge range of recipes online. Simply type “recipe”, followed by the contents of your fridge into Google, and you’ll get a whole list of dinner suggestions. Most well-known chefs have websites, plus you can access recipes from Delicious, Australian Good Taste and Vogue Entertaining magazines at www.taste.com.au.

   Many bloggers regularly publish recipes and, once you’ve found a few you like, you can rely on them for regular meal ideas. Nourish Me (www.nourish-me.blogspot.com) and Mostly Eating (www.mostlyeating.com) are two blogs that place an emphasis on wholefoods and eating seasonally. According to Melbourne blogger Lucy from Nourish Me, “Vegetables and wholegrains are not only sexy, but also a joy to cook with — that they have health benefits is an added bonus.”

   Sophie from Mostly Eating is a nutrition researcher, so her blog straddles both theory and the eating. She frequently develops new recipes and tinkers with old ones to make them “better, healthier and more well-rounded”. Recent recipes from Lucy’s site include a 15-minute silken tofu, green beans and lemongrass soup; snapper fillets cooked in banana leaves; and an Asian mushroom salad. Sophie has also been blogging about chestnut, parsnip and orange soup; tuna, bean and watercress salad; and a “heart healthy” macaroni cheese.

   Veggie Meal Plans (www.veggiemealplans.com) is another wonderful resource. Each week, Cassie posts her menu plan for the week, a shopping list, plus the recipes she’s cooking each day, complete with a gorgeous photo of each dish. Her archives contain more than 200 recipes, including soups, salads, breakfast ideas, burgers, muffins and pasta dishes. These blogs feature real food, cooked by real people — people who also have busy lives, full of deadlines, social activities and other responsibilities.

    

   5 recipe sites

   These will help you work out what to have for dinner:

   • Veggie Meal Plans — www.veggiemealplans.com
   • Nourish Me — nourish-me.blogspot.com
   • Mostly Eating — mostlyeating.com
   • The ABC’s healthy recipes site — www.abc.net.au/health/healthyliving/dietrecipes/recipes
   • Oswego Tea — not 100 per cent healthy but full of light, low-fat recipes — oswegotea.com

   Using the internet gives you access to a huge range of information. By reviewing what you read critically and building up a network of websites you trust, you can go beyond the basics and find some fantastic resources, perspectives and discussions that can help you live a healthier life. The internet is not, however, very good at diagnosis. If you are concerned about your health, nothing replaces discussing this in person with your health professional. Go to see them, find out what’s wrong and then use the internet as an extra resource.