How To Find Reliable Health Information Online

Many older adults share a common concern: “Can I trust the health information I find online?” There are thousands of medical websites.

许多老年人都有一个共同的担忧：“我可以相信我在网上找到的健康信息吗？”有数千个医疗网站。

Some provide up-to-date medical news and reliable health information, and some do not.

有些提供最新的医疗新闻和可靠的健康信息，有些则不提供。

Choosing trustworthy websites is an important step in gathering reliable health information.

选择值得信赖的网站是收集可靠健康信息的重要一步。

The National Institutes of Health website is a good place to start for reliable health information.

美国国立卫生研究院网站是获取可靠健康信息的好地方。

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website is another one.

疾病控制与预防中心网站是另一个网站。

As a rule, health websites sponsored by federal government agencies are accurate sources of information.

一般来说，联邦政府机构赞助的健康网站是准确的信息来源。

You can reach all federal websites by visiting www.usa.gov .

您可以通过访问 www.usa.gov 访问所有联邦网站。

Medical and health care organizations, hospitals, and academic medical institutions may also be reliable sources of health information.

医疗保健组织、医院和学术医疗机构也可能是健康信息的可靠来源。

Your health care provider can also suggest ideal sources of online information.

您的医疗保健提供者还可以建议理想的在线信息来源。

If your doctor’s office has a website, it may include a list of recommended links.

如果您的医生办公室有网站，它可能包含推荐链接列表。

MedlinePlus.gov is a website from the NIH National Library of Medicine that has dependable consumer health information on more than 1,000 health-related topics.

MedlinePlus.gov 是 NIH 国家医学图书馆的一个网站，提供有关 1,000 多个健康相关主题的可靠消费者健康信息。

Use its online tutorial to learn how to evaluate health information online .

使用其在线教程了解如何在线评估健康信息。

Searching online, you will likely find websites for multiple health organizations, including many you may not recognize.

在线搜索时，您可能会找到多个卫生组织的网站，其中包括许多您可能不认识的组织。

The following questions can help determine which ones are trustworthy.

以下问题可以帮助确定哪些是值得信赖的。

Many of the answers can often be found in a website’s “About Us” section.

许多答案通常可以在网站的“关于我们”部分找到。

Why was the site created?

为什么创建该网站？

Is the purpose of the site to inform or explain, or is it trying to sell a product or service?

该网站的目的是提供信息或解释，还是试图销售产品或服务？

Understanding the motive of the website can help you better judge its content.

了解网站的动机可以帮助您更好地判断其内容。

The goal of any trustworthy health information website is to provide accurate, current, and useful information versus trying to make a sale.

任何值得信赖的健康信息网站的目标都是提供准确、最新且有用的信息，而不是试图进行销售。

Knowing who pays for a website may provide you with insight into the mission or goal of the site.

了解谁为网站付费可以让您深入了解该网站的使命或目标。

For example, if a business pays for the site, the health information may favor that business and its products.

例如，如果一家企业为该网站付费，则健康信息可能有利于该企业及其产品。

Sometimes, the website address (called a URL) is helpful for identifying the type of agency or organization that owns the site.

有时，网站地址（称为 URL）有助于识别拥有该网站的机构或组织的类型。

For example:

例如：

While many commercial websites do provide accurate, useful health information, it can be hard to distinguish this content from marketing and promotional materials in some cases.

虽然许多商业网站确实提供准确、有用的健康信息，但在某些情况下很难将这些内容与营销和宣传材料区分开来。

Any advertisements on a site should be clearly marked as such.

网站上的任何广告都应明确标记。

Watch out for ads designed to look like neutral health information.

请留意那些看起来像是中性健康信息的广告。

Website pages often, but not always, identify the authors and contributors.

网站页面通常（但并非总是）标识作者和贡献者。

If the author is listed, are they an expert in the field?

如果列出了作者，他们是该领域的专家吗？

Look for health care professionals or scientific researchers with in-depth knowledge of the topic.

寻找对该主题有深入了解的医疗保健专业人员或科学研究人员。

Does the author work for an organization and, if so, what are the goals of that organization?

作者是否为某个组织工作？如果是，该组织的目标是什么？

A contributor’s connection to the website, and any financial stake they have regarding the information on the website, should be made clear.

应明确贡献者与网站的连接，以及他们对网站信息拥有的任何财务利益。

If the material is not authored by an expert, has the information been reviewed by a health care professional or other credentialed specialist?

如果该材料不是由专家撰写，该信息是否经过医疗保健专业人员或其他有资格的专家的审查？

Dependable health information websites will share sources and citations.

可靠的健康信息网站将共享来源和引文。

Trustworthy websites will also have contact information — an email address, phone number, and/or mailing address — that you can use to reach the site’s sponsor.

值得信赖的网站还会有联系信息——电子邮件地址、电话号码和/或邮寄地址——您可以使用这些信息联系网站的赞助商。

Look for this information at the bottom of web pages or in a separate “About Us” or “Contact Us” page.

在网页底部或单独的“关于我们”或“联系我们”页面中查找此信息。

Be cautious about testimonials, individual blogs, and posts on discussion boards.

请谨慎对待推荐、个人博客和讨论板上的帖子。

Personal stories may be helpful and comforting, but not everyone experiences health problems the same way.

个人故事可能会有所帮助和安慰，但并不是每个人都会以同样的方式经历健康问题。

Also, there is a big difference between information written by a single person interested in a topic and a website developed by professionals using researched and peer-reviewed scientific evidence.

此外，由对某个主题感兴趣的个人编写的信息与由专业人士使用经过研究和同行评审的科学证据开发的网站之间存在很大差异。

No online information, even if it is accurate and trustworthy, should replace seeing a health care professional who can thoroughly evaluate your unique situation and provide specific advice.

任何在线信息，即使是准确和值得信赖的，都不能取代看医疗保健专业人员，因为他们可以彻底评估您的独特情况并提供具体建议。

Look for websites that stay current with their health information.

寻找提供最新健康信息的网站。

You don’t want to make decisions about your care based on out-of-date content.

您不想根据过时的内容做出有关您的护理的决定。

Often, the date the information was created and reviewed or updated will appear at the bottom of the page.

通常，信息的创建、审核或更新日期将显示在页面底部。

Pages on the same site may be updated at different times, and some may be updated more often than others.

同一站点上的页面可能会在不同时间更新，并且某些页面可能比其他页面更新得更频繁。

Older information isn’t useless, but using the most current, evidence-based information is ideal.

较旧的信息并非无用，但使用最新的、基于证据的信息是理想的选择。

Read the website’s privacy policy.

阅读网站的隐私政策。

It is usually at the bottom of the page or on a separate page titled “Privacy Policy” or “Our Policies.” If a website says it uses “cookies,” your information may not be private.

它通常位于页面底部或标题为“隐私政策”或“我们的政策”的单独页面上。如果某个网站声称它使用“cookie”，那么您的信息可能不是私密的。

Cookies are small text files that enable a website to collect and remember information about your visit.

Cookie 是小型文本文件，使网站能够收集和记住有关您访问的信息。

While cookies may enhance your web experience, they can also compromise your online privacy, so it is important to read about the information the website collects and how the organization will use it.

虽然 Cookie 可以增强您的网络体验，但它们也可能损害您的在线隐私，因此了解网站收集的信息以及组织将如何使用这些信息非常重要。

Many websites will ask you ahead of time if you want to accept cookies, but others may not.

许多网站会提前询问您是否愿意接受 cookie，但其他网站可能不会。

If you are concerned about the potential use of information gathered by cookies, you can choose to disable the use of cookies through your internet browser settings.

如果您担心 Cookie 收集的信息可能被使用，您可以选择通过互联网浏览器设置禁用 Cookie。

If you are asked to share personal information, be sure to find out how the information will be used.

如果您被要求分享个人信息，请务必了解这些信息将如何使用。

Secure websites that collect personal information responsibly have an “s” after “http” in the start of their website addresses (https://) and often require that you create a username and password.

负责任地收集个人信息的安全网站在其网站地址 (https://) 开头的“http”后面有一个“s”，并且通常要求您创建用户名和密码。

Be careful about sharing your Social Security number .

分享您的社会安全号码时要小心。

Find out why your number is needed, how it will be used, and what will happen if you do not share this information.

了解为什么需要您的号码、如何使用该号码以及如果您不分享此信息将会发生什么。

Only enter your Social Security number on secure websites.

仅在安全网站上输入您的社会安全号码。

You might consider calling your doctor’s office or health insurance company to give this information over the phone rather than providing it online.

您可以考虑致电您的医生办公室或健康保险公司，通过电话而不是在线提供此信息。

Taking these precautions may help protect your information:

采取这些预防措施可能有助于保护您的信息：

Older adults are often the target of online scammers.

老年人往往是网络诈骗者的目标。

One reason is that older people are less likely to report suspected fraud.

原因之一是老年人举报涉嫌欺诈的可能性较小。

If you believe an older adult in your life has been the target of a scam, contact the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 833–372–8311.

如果您认为您生活中的老年人成为诈骗目标，请拨打全国老年人诈骗热线 833-372-8311。

Be cautious about websites claiming any single remedy will cure many different illnesses.

请谨慎对待声称任何单一疗法可以治愈多种不同疾病的网站。

Also be wary of sites suggesting simple or unproven treatments for a disease.

还要警惕那些建议简单或未经证实的疾病治疗方法的网站。

Question dramatic writing or promises of cures that seem too good to be true and look for other websites with the same information.

对戏剧性的写作或看似好得令人难以置信的治疗承诺提出质疑，并寻找具有相同信息的其他网站。

Even if a website links to a trustworthy source, it doesn’t mean that the site has the other organization’s endorsement or support.

即使网站链接到值得信赖的来源，也不意味着该网站得到其他组织的认可或支持。

Use the following checklist to help ensure the health information you are reading online can be trusted.

使用以下清单来帮助确保您在线阅读的健康信息是可信的。

You might want to keep this checklist by your computer.

您可能希望将此清单保留在您的计算机上。

Mobile medical applications (“apps”) are a type of software you can install and run on your smartphone.

移动医疗应用程序（“应用程序”）是一种可以在智能手机上安装和运行的软件。

Medical apps can support your health in many ways.

医疗应用程序可以通过多种方式支持您的健康。

For example, they can help track your eating habits or physical activity, access test results from a lab, or monitor a health condition.

例如，它们可以帮助跟踪您的饮食习惯或身体活动、访问实验室的测试结果或监测健康状况。

They can also provide helpful reminders to exercise or take medications.

他们还可以提供锻炼或服用药物的有用提醒。

But anyone can develop a health app — for any reason — and apps may include inaccurate or misleading information.

但任何人都可以出于任何原因开发健康应用程序，并且应用程序可能包含不准确或误导性的信息。

Before you download or use an app, make sure you know who produced it.

在下载或使用应用程序之前，请确保您知道该应用程序的制作者。

When you download an app, it may ask for your location, your email, or other personal information.

当您下载应用程序时，它可能会询问您的位置、电子邮件或其他个人信息。

Apps may also collect data about you as you use them.

应用程序还可能在您使用它们时收集有关您的数据。

Ensure the information collected is relevant to the app, you know how the information will be used, and you feel comfortable sharing this information.

确保收集的信息与应用程序相关，您知道这些信息将如何使用，并且您愿意分享这些信息。

Responsible app developers will make this information readily available before you download it.

负责任的应用程序开发人员将在您下载之前提供此信息。

Social media websites and apps are online communities through which people can connect with friends, family, and strangers.

社交媒体网站和应用程序是在线社区，人们可以通过它与朋友、家人和陌生人联系。

Social media is one way people share health information and news stories with each other.

社交媒体是人们相互分享健康信息和新闻故事的一种方式。

Some of this information may be true, but too often some of it is not.

其中一些信息可能是真实的，但其中一些往往不是真实的。

Recognize that just because a post is from a friend or colleague, it does not necessarily mean that the information is accurate, complete, or applicable to your health.

请注意，仅仅因为帖子来自朋友或同事，并不一定意味着该信息准确、完整或适用于您的健康。

Check the source of the information, and make sure the original author is credible.

检查信息来源，确保原作者可信。

Fact-checking websites can also help you determine if a story is reliable.

事实核查网站还可以帮助您确定故事是否可靠。

Evaluating health information in books is similar to finding reliable information on websites or on social media.

评估书籍中的健康信息类似于在网站或社交媒体上查找可靠信息。

Make sure to check who wrote the book, how current the information is, and where the content came from.

请务必检查这本书的作者、信息的最新程度以及内容的来源。

When in doubt, ask your health care provider about what you read.

如有疑问，请向您的医疗保健提供者询问您所读到的内容。

Use your good judgment when gathering health information online.

在线收集健康信息时请运用良好的判断力。

There are websites on nearly every health topic, and many have no rules for overseeing the quality of the information provided.

几乎所有健康主题都有网站，而且许多网站没有监督所提供信息质量的规则。

Use the information you find online as one tool to become more informed.

使用您在网上找到的信息作为一种工具来获取更多信息。

Don’t count on any one website and check your sources.

不要指望任何一个网站并检查你的来源。

Discuss what you find with your doctor before making any changes to your health care.

在对您的医疗保健做出任何改变之前，请与您的医生讨论您的发现。

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 800-232-4636 cdcinfo@cdc.gov www.cdc.gov

疾病控制与预防中心 800-232-4636 cdcinfo@cdc.gov www.cdc.gov

MedlinePlus National Library of Medicine www.medlineplus.gov

MedlinePlus 国家医学图书馆 www.medlineplus.gov

Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) 240-453-8280 odphpinfo@hhs.gov https://odphp.health.gov

疾病预防和健康促进办公室 (ODPHP) 240-453-8280 odphpinfo@hhs.gov https://odphp.health.gov

This content is provided by the NIH National Institute on Aging (NIA).

本内容由 NIH 国家老龄化研究所 (NIA) 提供。

NIA scientists and other experts review this content to ensure it is accurate and up to date.

NIA 科学家和其他专家审查此内容以确保其准确且最新。