Health information on the Internet: gold mine or minefield?

The Internet has revolutionized the way information is shared and accessed. Information retrieval is easier now than ever before. Since the rise of modern search engines, social networks, and ubiquitous access through devices such as smartphones and tablet or laptop computers, information is available at people’s fingertips almost any time of the day. As of 2010, 80% of Canadian households were connected to the Internet.1 One important domain in which the Internet plays an increasing role is health information access. Seventy percent of Canadians go online to search for medical or health-related information,2 and it has been reported that the Internet, rather than physicians, is the first source of information for many people.3 Considering how easy it is to Google search “bad cough,” it is not surprising that many people make an attempt at selfdiagnosis using the Internet before waiting hours in crowded walk-in clinics or emergency departments to consult professionals. The flow of information has fundamentally changed, and physicians have less control over health information relayed to patients. Not surprisingly, this paradigm shift has elicited varied and sometimes conflicting views about the value of the Internet as a tool to improve health care.