good or bad website?

It is helpful to ask yourself….

Who has created the site?

Is it - for example - a hospital, cancer society, charity, support group, commercial business or an individual?

Look for a statement that tells you about the organisation or individual. The website may have a section where you will find this information. It may be called something like About us or About this site.

Try to judge whether the information is from a reputable source. Is it an organisation you've already heard of? If not, what does the site tell you about the organisation or individual? Do they sound legitimate and reasonable?

What are the aims of the site?

Different websites have different aims and target audiences.

For example, a site may claim to offer comprehensive cancer information produced by medically qualified people.

Another site may be written by one person - perhaps a cancer patient who wants to help others by sharing his/her story.

Look for a statement that tells you about the aims of the site. You can use it to judge whether this is the type of site you would like to spend time looking at. Is it likely to give you the information or support you need?

Is the site updated regularly?

Good sites tell you when they were last updated.

If there seem to have been no changes for a long time, this may be a sign that the information is no longer current or reliable.

Be careful, though. A site may tell you that it has recently been updated… but the update could be just a minor change to one of the pages, rather than a thorough review of the content.

Some sites tell you when a particular page or article was last updated, and this is more helpful than a general date displayed only on the site's home page.

There may also be a statement telling you how and when the site is reviewed, and this can help you to decide how reliable the information is likely to be.

Who has written the information?

Does the information come from medically qualified professionals?

A good site will tell you where the information has come from.

If an unqualified person or organisation has written it, the site should say so. There is nothing wrong with an unqualified person creating a website - provided they tell you this.

Does the site encourage you to consult your own doctor?

Good sites will tell you that they cannot give you medical advice on your particular circumstances. They encourage you to see your own doctor for medical advice and treatment.

Is it clear who has sponsored the site?

If the website producer received money to create the site, it is good practice to tell you so.

There is nothing wrong with a sponsored website. Many sponsors give generously and have no influence over the site's approach and content. Other sponsors want something in return for their investment. If a site accepts advertising, look for a policy statement about this.

You should know whether there is a chance of any bias or conflict of interest because a sponsor has supported a site.

Does the information seem balanced and unbiased?

Where appropriate, does the site tell you what evidence its information is based on?
Does it seem to promote a particular treatment or approach? If so, does it include evidence to support the claims?

Do all the links work?

If there are links to other sites, do the links work when you try them? Lots of broken links suggest that the site isn't well maintained.

Can you contact the web master?

Good sites include the email address or other contact details of the person responsible for maintaining the website. You should always be able to contact the web master if you have comments or concerns you want to express.

Does the site respect your privacy?

A good site will have a statement that tells you how it will protect and respect your privacy if you send your contact details or any other personal information to the web master.

Does the site ask you to pay for a cure or treatment?

Reject these sites. Discuss your treatment with your doctor.

Look for the Health on the Net logo…

The Health on the Net Foundation has produced a code of conduct (HONcode) for medical and health websites.

The code of conduct sets down standards so that web developers create reliable and credible sites.

Web developers who adhere to the code can display the HONcode seal on their sites.

The seal may help you to identify sites that are likely to be reputable. The HON Foundation does not evaluate sites itself, but it will respond to complaints about HON sites and can remove the HONcode seal if necessary.

Look for the Crystal Mark logo...

The Crystal Mark has become widely recognised as a guarantee that a document has been written and designed as clearly as possible. The Crystal Mark does not look at the content of the information, but can tell you whether the website is written in a clear and jargon-free manner. It originates from the Plain English Campaign.