Benefits of good-quality online health information and risks of ‘Dr Google’

Abstract

Using online health information can contribute to patients' health outcomes. 63% of people in the UK are searching for health information online, but some is unreliable. Misinformation, vaccine conspiracy theories and content about alternative therapies can lead to poor health outcomes or worrying health behaviours. Credible, high-quality information can be identified by checking for trustworthy sources, quality marks and balanced information.

This article has been double-blind peer reviewed

In this article…

• Positive and negative impacts of online health information on patients and the public

• How different patient groups find and respond to information online

• How health professionals and patients can identify reliable health information