Updated March 25, 2015.
These days, a good portion of the news and information we receive comes from the Internet. Everything from the current Hollywood hot romance, to the kids you went to high school with, to complex medical and scientific information can be found with the click of a mouse.
Unfortunately, the Internet has no police force or governing body that regulates the content that can be found on there.
There are an abundance of websites out there that provide information about all types of cancer, including leukemia and lymphoma.
But if any Joe Shmoe can post on the web, how can you be sure you are getting the most accurate and current information?
Here are a few things to consider for when choosing a website for reliable cancer information.
The Internet provides us with a world of limitless information. Some of it is good information, but not all of it is reliable. Even when you do find a website that you feel comfortable with, it is important to keep open communication with your healthcare team. If there is information that you are unsure about or details that you require clarification on, be sure to ask your doctor or nurse.
Remember that no website can take the place of the care, advice, or medical opinions of your qualified specialist.
Sources
Kelvin, J., Tyson, L. (2005). Questions and Answers About Cancer Symptoms and Cancer Treatment Side Effects. Jones and Bartlett: Sudbury, MA.
These days, a good portion of the news and information we receive comes from the Internet. Everything from the current Hollywood hot romance, to the kids you went to high school with, to complex medical and scientific information can be found with the click of a mouse.
Unfortunately, the Internet has no police force or governing body that regulates the content that can be found on there.
There are an abundance of websites out there that provide information about all types of cancer, including leukemia and lymphoma.
But if any Joe Shmoe can post on the web, how can you be sure you are getting the most accurate and current information?
Here are a few things to consider for when choosing a website for reliable cancer information.
- Who sponsors the site? Any person or company can own or sponsor a website. Your job s to decide whether or not the sponsor of the site may be biased in the information they present. For example, a non- profit cancer society does not have anything to gain by providing false or biased information to you, but ChemoDudes Incorporated might.
- Does the content on the site undergo medical and editorial review? Are the people who review the content for accuracy qualified to do so? Does the website identify who they are?
- What is the purpose of the site? Is this purpose unbiased and does it fit with the information you are looking for? Most reliable sites will provide a statement of purpose, and what they intend to offer to you.
- Who is writing the content of the site? What is their background and what makes them an expert in leukemia or lymphoma? This will help you to determine the perspective from which the site is written. Website content that is written by a medical doctor will be presented in quite a different, but not necessarily more accurate, manner than content written by the mom of a childhood leukemia survivor. Depending on what you are looking for, the perspective can be an important aspect of the website.
- When was the content created? Trustworthy Internet sites will provide you with the date that the content was written, or when it was last updated. Certain aspects of cancer care change often as our knowledge of these diseases expands. It is critical that the information you receive is timely. Other areas of information, such as communication or coping skills do not necessarily change over time and quality of content may be more important than how recent it is.
- Where does the information come from? Good websites provide their readers with the sources of their facts and content. Sure, an expert in blood and marrow cancer has information that they just know, but does current literature support it?
The Internet provides us with a world of limitless information. Some of it is good information, but not all of it is reliable. Even when you do find a website that you feel comfortable with, it is important to keep open communication with your healthcare team. If there is information that you are unsure about or details that you require clarification on, be sure to ask your doctor or nurse.
Remember that no website can take the place of the care, advice, or medical opinions of your qualified specialist.
Sources
Kelvin, J., Tyson, L. (2005). Questions and Answers About Cancer Symptoms and Cancer Treatment Side Effects. Jones and Bartlett: Sudbury, MA.