Pat_Health&Wellness Tools

On almost all social media, there are people, professionals, and non-professionals alike sharing realistic, unrealistic and sometimes outrageous health and wellness  advice on the free wide-web called the internet. Then you get confused about which advice or recommendations to follow. This is called Decision-Paralysis.

When you take the extra time to review the pros and cons of each health & wellness advice you read or watch on social media, even seemingly good options and you get confused about which advice or recommendations to follow, that is called Decision-Analysis-Paralysis. Especially if this prevents you from taking any action(s) completely.

I share your concerns here because even as a healthcare professional myself, the medical information on the internet can sometimes be overwhelming and even contradictory.   According to research, everyone, no matter how educated, is at risk for  misunderstanding health information if the topic is emotionally charged, or complex (NIH  National Library of Medicine on Health Literacy).

Here are some ways to help you dissect these many health information on the internet and make your own individualized and tailored well-informed health &wellness decision(s):

1. First, ask yourself, what health & wellness modifications do you need to make to feel good with yourself?

2. Then, ask what evidence based social media sites you know to research this information on? Tips- Use at least 3 different sites and compare the information to see if it is similar or different/ controversial. Check who manages the site information, the purpose of the site, and the quality of the site.

3. Talk to your doctor  After you have done your research and you are still confused, speak with your doctor or Healthcare professional. Ensure you ask all your questions and get clear language responses and understanding of whatever you discussed before leaving your doctor’s office/room.

For more details and tutorials on how to evaluate Internet Health Information, click this NIH medlineplus site.