Library Resources for KHS 110

It is important to be critical of health information found on the web. When you locate a health website, you first need to evaluate the resource to determine if the information is trustworthy.

Questions used to evaluate a website:

• Who created the information? Is there an "about us" page?
• When was the web page created? Or do you know when it was last updated?
• Does the information come from medical research? Are sources cited?
• Can you tell who funds the web page?

For a more detailed checklist, MedlinePlus has a Guide to Healthy Web Surfing

Also, the tool Trust It or Trash It can help you think critically about the quality of health information found on websites, handouts, booklets, and more.

Here are the questions on the Health Literacy Worksheet

1. Summarize the diet, include the listed benefits and risks (if any are identified)
2. Who created this message?
3. What creative techniques are used to catch your attention?
4. What values, lifestyles, or points of view are represented in the message?
5. Is the information current? When was it produced? How do you know?
6. Is evidence cited? What is it?
7. What is the main purpose/motive/agenda of this source?
8. Who is the intended (primary) target audience? How do you know? Is there a secondary audience?
9. What is missing from this source? What do you still want to know about this diet that is not stated?
10. How might different people interpret this message/site differently?
11. Does this diet cost anything other than buying food at a grocery store? How much is it? How do you order it?