TORONTO – We’ve been doing the On Call with Dr. Gupta segment for almost a year now, and given that there has been a lot of discussion lately on the quality of health information reporting in the media, I thought we should look at the scientific evidence surrounding this.
The Dr. Oz Show and The Doctors are two U.S. shows that have large followings and are watched widely in Canada.
An interesting analysis by Christina Korownyk and colleagues published in the British Medical Journal last year measured the quality of medical information presented in these shows.
The study randomly selected 40 episodes of each show and looked at 80 different recommendations from each show and for each of these, did an extensive search of the medical literature to see if they were supported by evidence.
They found that on average of the 11-12 claims made per show, and there was scientific evidence to support roughly half of these claims (46 per cent for Dr. Oz and 63 per cent for The Doctors). What’s worse, about 15 per cent of the claims in each show actually contradicted what the science showed.
For our segment, I spend about 2 hours researching the medical literature for just a 3 minute segment. In my view, if that’s what it takes to make sure that information is scientifically valid, then that’s what viewers should expect from all of these shows.
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The other area that’s growing rapidly as a source of medical information is the internet. In a 2013 Pew Research Center Study four 59 per cent of Americans had looked for health information on the internet in the prior year, and 35% actually used the internet to diagnose themselves or a loved one.
Many of us in medicine shudder at the health claims being propagated on the internet and on social media by a handful of health bloggers who have huge followings but no medical qualifications. The problem with the internet is that it acts as a great equalizer, and to the undiscerning viewer, a well-designed website can make up for lack of qualifications. Also, because there is no accountability on the internet, people tend to claim as fact what is actually only opinion. What’s worse, in many cases, these individuals are receiving payments for the health products that they promote, and these conflicts of interest are almost never declared.
My general view is that the internet does have a role in helping our patients to understand their disease, particularly after a visit with the doctor, because we know well that patients don’t tend to retain most of the information that we give them in person, and tend not to think of all their questions during the medical visit. This is when they often turn to the Internet. The key is to empower those to get their information from the best sources.
5 tips for finding the best medical information online
1. Reputable health organizations
You want to make sure that the site you’re looking at is maintained by an academic institution (such as a university or academic hospital), because these sites are accountable to the scientific community and generally scrutinize their content very carefully.
2. Credible author
You want to look at the credentials of the person who’s providing the advice – ideally it should be a physician or other health care professional, or a research scientist. It’s shocking how many famous health bloggers have no training beyond “Google University.”
3. Statements supported by references
When you see health claims on a website, you want to see direct references for those claims, and you want to make sure that those references are peer-reviewed scientific articles. A reference to someone else’s blog, to a newspaper article, or to a non-peer reviewed magazine is not evidence.
4. Beware of ads and buzzwords
Beware of sites with heavy advertising, especially if they are selling the very products that they claim will improve your health. Buzzwords like “detoxify,” and recurring conspiracy theories about the mainstream medical community, the government agencies, and/or pharmaceutical companies are also warning signs.
5. Ask your doctor!
Most doctors would agree that the internet is a powerful tool that can help our patients. Don’t be afraid to ask your doctor what the best online sources of information are for the condition that you have. Most of us would much rather our patients ask us, than risk getting their information from a shady source.
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