INTERESTING
CAUTION! Please use caution when reading and viewing information pertaining to your health on the Internet. I actually studied this topic during my orthopedic residency. I found that the quality and accuracy of health related articles concerning hallux valgus or bunions were poor, often not reviewed by health care professionals, and written at inappropriately high reading levels. (1)
This is a major concern for patients and doctors alike as the Internet is one of the most widely utilized resources for health related information with more than 61% of Americans seeking diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic insight pertaining to their medical conditions. (2) Search engines, participating in online support groups, and webinars in which patients can directly interact with healthcare professionals are among the most common ways patients access online health related information. (3)
Don’t get me wrong, the Internet can be a powerful tool for patients, but I want to bring to your attention its limitations. Namely, the information it presents can be factually incorrect, biased by industry, and/or lack peer review. This is concerning, as patients often use the Internet to make self-diagnoses and treatment decisions, which can ultimately adversely affect their overall outcome. Therefore, it is important to recognize these limitations.
But don’t be too worried! Here are some helpful tips to guide you through the Internet and its health related resources.
1. If you have a question about something you read or saw online, bring it to your doctor’s office and ask about it
2. Ask your doctor to recommend a site or sites that they trust has appropriate information
3. Look for sites created by health care professionals
4. As related to orthopedics, the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgery (AAOS), which is our professional society, has excellent information reviewed and edited by orthopedic surgeons at www.orthoinfo.aaos.org
5. As related to foot and ankle orthopedic surgery (my subspecialty), I recommend visiting www.footcaremd.com which is a website with articles reviewed and edited by orthopedic surgeons who are fellowship trained in foot and ankle surgery
6. For information not related to orthopedics, search for other medical specialty society websites
CAUTION! The Internet can be an amazing tool helping you learn about your health and helping to make medical decisions, but please understand its limitations while doing so and use caution.
References
1. Tartaglione JP, Rosenbaum AJ, Abousayed M, Hushmeddy SF, DiPreta JA. Evaluating the quality, accuracy, and readability of online resources pertaining to hallux valgus. Foot and Ankle Spec. 2016; 9(1):17-23.
2. Experian Marketing Services. Consumer search engine trends. http://www.experian.com/hitwise/online-trends-search-engine.html; Accessed 2015 Jan 16.
3. Cline RJ, Haynes KM. Consumer health information seeking on the Internet: the state of the art. Health Education Research. 2001;16(6):671-692.
