How to check a health claim before you trust it

1. Find out who is speaking

Look for the organization or person behind the information. Can you find a real description of the publisher, a way to contact them, and an explanation of how the content is produced? A professional-looking design or a medical-sounding name is not a qualification.

For a health author, look for relevant expertise and an explanation of the review process. Do not assume that all articles on a website were reviewed by a clinician. On this site, public guides are AI-assisted educational material, not clinically reviewed medical advice. We identify that limitation so you can judge the information accordingly.

2. Write down what is actually being claimed

Reduce the message to a specific statement. Is it describing an association, saying a treatment works, or promising an outcome for everyone? A story about one person's experience can help you understand that person's perspective, but it cannot show how likely the same outcome is for someone else.

Notice when a headline is stronger than the evidence beneath it. A study of cells is not the same as a study in people. Observing that two things occur together does not by itself establish that one causes the other. Results from a particular group may not apply to everyone.

3. Follow the reference, not just the headline

A source link should lead somewhere you can inspect. Check whether the linked document actually supports the statement and whether the author has described important limitations. A citation that does not exist, goes to an unrelated page, or cannot be found is a reason to pause—not a reason to fill in the missing evidence yourself.

MedlinePlus recommends asking where information comes from and looking for agreement with other reliable sources. Government health agencies, established medical organizations, and academic health centers can be useful starting points. An organization's reputation helps you choose where to look; it does not remove the need to read the actual page.

• Was the research in people, animals, or a laboratory?
• Who took part, and how large was the study?
• What outcomes were measured, and over what period?
• Does the report explain uncertainty or possible harms?
• Who funded the research or the article?

4. Check the date and the surrounding context

Health information can change. Look for a publication or update date, then check whether the source discusses the current question you are trying to answer. A recent date alone does not make content reliable, and an older explanation of a basic term is not automatically wrong.

Be careful with a screenshot or a short clip that removes the original context. Find the complete page or original statement if you can. If a recommendation depends on a country, age group, clinical setting, or a person's medical history, keep those conditions attached to it rather than treating it as a universal rule.

5. Notice what the page wants you to do

Ask whether the main purpose is to inform, sell a product, collect your details, or persuade you to join something. Advertising and sponsorship should be distinguishable from editorial information. A reference beside a purchase button does not establish that the product being sold has been shown to work.

Promises of a guaranteed cure, claims that one solution works for unrelated problems, and pressure to act before you can check the facts deserve particular caution. Equally, dramatic language about hidden dangers can be used to sell an alternative. Look for a balanced explanation of limits, benefits, and harms instead of a demand for certainty.

6. Use what you find to ask a better question

Keep the source address and the specific claim you want to discuss. A useful appointment question is: I read this statement; does it apply to my situation, and what information would we need to know? That invites a conversation instead of asking a clinician to evaluate a large stack of unrelated pages.

If you cannot establish that a claim is reliable, you do not have to settle the debate or share it. Leave the uncertainty visible. Do not start, stop, or change treatment based on an online claim; discuss decisions about your care with a qualified professional.

Sources & further reading

These sources support the general principles discussed above. The practical examples and checklists are NOW HEALTH educational material, not instructions from the linked organizations or an endorsement by them.

1. Evaluating Health Information (opens in a new tab)

   MedlinePlus · National Library of Medicine

   Questions for evaluating authorship, funding, evidence, dates, and health information in different media.

2. Finding and Evaluating Online Resources (opens in a new tab)

   National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health · NIH

   A starting point for evaluating online health resources and mobile health information.

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