Research Guides: Patient and Consumer Health Information: Home

Home

Ask the Medical Librarian

Do you have questions for the librarian or need help finding information? Submit your request here!

Ask the Medical Librarian

Librarian

Lynn Warner

Subjects: Health Sciences

Finding Reliable Health Information Online

Recommended Health Information Sites

If you have questions about conditions, treatments, and other health information, here are some reliable sites to find medical information online.

Medline Plus
Medline Plus is an online health information resource from the National Library of Medicine. Their mission is to provide trusted health information that is easy to understand and free of ads. Medline Plus is also available in Spanish.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Health Topics A to Z
The CDC website covers a wide range of health and healthcare related topics, including symptoms, prevention, recovery resources, and more.
Cleveland Clinic Health Library
Cleveland Clinic’s Health Library provides information that is based on the latest medical research. All information is frequently reviewed by medical experts.
Cochrane Evidence
Cochrane Evidence presents results of health research in plain language. It is up to date and medically reviewed for accuracy.

Searching Google for Health Information

Follow these tips to make the most of your Google searches when looking for health information online.

Search Tip	Example
Use specific keywords rather than typing out a complete question.	stroke rehabilitation exercises
Use quotation marks to search an exact phrase.	"stroke survivors" "mental health"
The minus sign (-) can help eliminate unwanted information. Note: This can also be used to eliminate AI Overviews.	cardiac rehabilitation exercises -classes "heart attack" -AI
Use Google to search specific websites or domains using the “site:[domain]” feature.	site:heart.org "stroke rehabilitation" site:.gov "respiratory failure"

Other Google tips:

Avoid using vague or unclear terms that suggest a purpose or relationship, such as bad, good, impact, or effect.
Keep in mind that Google can only search about 4% of available information, so you may want to search for health information on reliable sites like Medline Plus directly.
The top result on Google is not always best, and may be a paid result.
Do not rely on AI Overviews - they are not always correct!

Evaluating Online Information

Use Lateral Reading

Lateral reading is a fact checking strategy used to assess credibility of online resources
Read horizontally, not vertically.
- Instead of staying on one website or article and scrolling down, open multiple tabs in your browser.
- Do supplemental searches to investigate about the site, expert, organization, or topic.
- Get a big picture view of the information you are evaluating - additional perspectives will help give to evaluate the original source of information.
Use Wikipedia, credible news sources, or other references to find out more about a website and its credibility.

Evaluation Strategies

Think about purpose - what is the purpose of the site, and who owns or sponsors it?
Consider who wrote the information, and if it has been reviewed for accuracy.
Does the website offer quick and easy solutions? If so, this may be a red flag.
Don't count on just one site or expert - remember to read and search laterally.

Things to Remember:

Reading a site's "About" page will not give you the full picture - many times you can get more information about site by leaving the site itself.

Disclaimer

Learning more about your condition can help you feel more confident when talking to your healthcare providers. The University of Cincinnati Libraries offers this information for general awareness only. It is not a replacement for advice or treatment from a qualified healthcare professional. The opinions shared here belong to the individual authors and may not match what your doctor recommends. If you have any questions or concerns about your health, it’s important to discuss them with your healthcare provider.