With the explosion of health information available online and in print media it can be difficult for consumers to determine which sources to trust and which ones to toss.  As with all of the material available on the World Wide Web, consumers must exercise caution and diligence when evaluating the veracity of internet information. While we may be pretty good at knowing how to determine which sites look trustworthy enough to safely manage credit card information or other private data, it may be more difficult for consumers to assess the reliability of health information on the internet. Given the sometimes high stakes involved in making healthcare decisions perhaps such sites should be required to include links which will connect consumers to tools which will train them to better evaluate health information in the media. Though this will not guarantee any given web surfer will take advantage of these links, but it could be a start to improving health information literacy.

The Alden March Bioethics Institute offers a Master of Science in Bioethics, a Doctorate of Professional Studies in Bioethics, and Graduate Certificates in Clinical Ethics and Clinical Ethics Consultation. For more information on AMBI's online graduate programs, please visit our website.