The "What's Real and What's Not"? A How-To Guide for Selecting Reliable Websites

When using online websites to get information about your health, you will first want to know that the information is current and accurate.  To start with, look for the person or organization who created the website and what their purpose is. This should be clearly stated with more information under the “About Us” tab, which is usually found on the bottom of the webpage.  

Here are some good questions to ask yourself when selecting websites:

• Do the website creators show where their information comes from?  
• Are current dates posted on articles?  
• Is the information written by doctors and other medical specialists?  
• Do they make amazing or unbelievable claims?

The next step is to look for the last three letters of the website address.

These may either be ".org", ".gov", ".edu", or ".com".  

Most online information can be trusted if it comes from a website ending in .org, .gov, or .edu.  The information from these three websites comes from non-profit organizations, governmental agencies, or from universities, respectively.  If the website ends in .com, however, this means that the website is commercial-based and the information that it provides is likely biased or is designed to sell you something.  It therefore may not provide you with the most accurate information.

Examples of Reliable Websites

(click on each logo to be redirected to website)

 

Examples of Unreliable Websites

(click on each logo to be redirected to website)

Finally, if you are asked to enter personal information into the website in order to create an account or to receive email notices, then read through the “Privacy Policy” located on the bottom of the page to see how the website protects your information or who they may share your information with.  

Awesome Apps for Managing Your Health

We live in a world where there is an app for nearly everything.  There are now apps available that will help you to manage your health better.  There are apps for tracking your food intake, understanding medical terms, having a virtual office visit, counting your steps, and more!  The good news is that many of these apps are free or have a free version available so that you can try them out first to see if it works for you.  Just remember that free apps often have a lot of advertising.  If ads bother you, many apps can be upgraded for a small fee in order to remove these ads.

Here is a list of a few apps you may enjoy for managing your health.

(click on the app title to be redirected to app download site)

Meditation Studio
Over 250 guided meditations to help you relax and relieve stress.

First Aid by American Red Cross
Simple instructions to guide you through performing first aid.

Intermountain Connect Care
Virtual office visits with a physician on your mobile device.

My Fitness Pal
Track food/water intake, exercise and steps, and set goals for losing weight.

When browsing through the Google Play Store or Apple App Store, you can click on an app’s rating and read reviews to see why other people liked it and how the app helped them.  If the app is labeled “medical”, it is geared more for medical professionals, whereas apps that are labeled “health” or “wellness” are geared more toward the general public.

To find quality health apps, go to the Google Play Store or Apple App Store, search for an app and open its details page, then scroll all the way to the bottom to find the developer contact information, the privacy policy, and the permissions that the app will ask for.  This information will help you to know who makes the app and where its information is coming from.  If the developer is not one you recognize, then go to their website to learn more about them.  Be sure you read up on and are comfortable with the privacy policy and with the permission to access things on your phone before you download the app.

Keeping Yourself Secure

In order to keep your information secure while using apps, be sure to always lock your phone with a PIN or password when you are not using it.  If you stop using an app, delete your account information within the app first, then delete the entire app.  For your own protection, do not keep unused apps on your phone.    

Teaming Up With Others through Online Support Groups

You may benefit from an online support group. For those who live in rural areas, or whose health limits their mobility, a virtual support group can be especially helpful. Virtual support groups come in many styles and offer easy access to positive interaction with others regarding specific topics such as living with cancer, addiction, diabetes, depression, and more. 

Some support groups are led by a healthcare professional who might answer questions or present topics for discussion.  Others are monitored by nonprofessionals to maintain integrity of the site or to keep the comments on topic.  It is important to remember that although online support groups can connect you to others who understand what you are going through, it is not medical advice and does not take the place of your physician for diagnosing or treating your medical conditions.  

Also, remember that the information you post on a public site is accessible by others. You will want to be careful about posting things that can personally identify you.  Before you join, be sure to scroll to the bottom of the group’s webpage to find the privacy information and read about how your personal information may be used or shared.  

Here are a few examples of online support groups:

(click on each logo to be redirected to website)

Support group for those living with or caring for someone with breast cancer.  

Support group for those living with depression and/or bipolar disorder.


Support group for those recovering from any kind of addiction.

Maintaining Your Personal Health Records

Your care provider or clinic may offer a way for you to access your medical records and health history online. This is done through something called a patient portal. A patient portal allows you access to your own health records or your children’s health records and provides you with things such as your lab results, history of office visits, medication lists, immunizations, and a way to schedule appointments or email any questions you may have to your physician. Patient portals may save you time when you are trying to make appointments or get your questions answered. It also makes it easy to access your information at any time, day or night, as long as you have an internet connection.

Patient portals are secure and require setting up a username and password. Your health information is encrypted and protected by the provider.  You can also protect access to it by not sharing your password with anyone but yourself. While securely logged in to official patient portals, you can safely send emails to your physician, which are automatically encrypted and secure. You should not use your regular email account for sending and receiving personal health information because it is not encrypted and does not meet legal requirements for patient privacy.

Getting Back to Basics: Improving Your Knowledge of Technology

In order to access health information online, you first need to have a good understanding of basic computer technology.  Accessing the Internet requires a broadband connection through an Internet Service Provider (ISP).  Major ISPs in our area include CenturyLink and Comcast.  These are only two of many companies that provide its customers with access to the Internet.

Once an ISP is established, you will need a modem to actually connect to the Internet.  A modem connects to a telephone outlet in your home, which then communicates with your ISP to provide your home with access to the Internet.  Many modems offer wireless access to the Internet, which is otherwise known as Wi-Fi.  A router, which is sometimes built into a modem, allows you to connect multiple devices within your home to the Internet.

Once an Internet connection is established, you can now access the Internet through a browser.  Browsers include Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, and Internet Explorer.  Using the Internet along with various other programs at the same time can take up a lot of your computer’s random access memory, also known as RAM.  If your computer does not have enough RAM, the computer will likely run very slow.  It is also important for your computer to have enough storage space on it.  If it does not, you can set up a “Cloud” account, which saves your files in an online location on the Internet instead of taking up space on your computer’s hard drive.