We are surrounded by an avalanche of information when it
comes to our health. Naturally we want
to be able to find out about our symptoms or conditions on our own time and
there are plenty of tools out there for us to use.
The library hosts a health and wellness database,
and Nova Scotia has a dedicated health line (just dial 811 and you can speak to a
registered nurse); and of course there is always the Internet waiting for your
question. The Internet is often the
route that most people take.
If you want to do your own research and want to be sure
about the quality of their information, here is a little tip. There is a Non-Governmental Organization
dedicated to the provision of quality health information. It is called the Health on the Net Foundation .
They provide certification using the HONcode symbol to websites that meet and follow a specified code of conduct with regards to health information. When you are surfing the internet and see that symbol on the webpage you will immediately know that certain evaluation criteria were met. This means you don't have to spend extra time investigating the credentials of each website yourself.
Another shortcut that is offered is the HONcode search page which will search your terms and only
retrieve information from HONcode certified sites. This narrows your results eliminating a lot
of searching on your part. This is not
to say that there is not good information on other sites that did not seek
certification only that the sites retrieved did. You will find that most well known health
sites have this symbol on their page.
It is important that when you are looking into any medical
problem you get current and reliable information. We want to help you find it whether you use
our databases or investigate on your own.
Hopefully this tip will help provide you with the right information before
your next visit to your health care provider.
--Patricia Milner, Head of Reference
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