Evaluating Information on the Internet

Dental professionals and consumers alike now have access to more information than can ever be assimilated.  The Internet environment allows anyone to become a "Publisher."  In the October, 1999 issue of this journal, the article entitled, "Internet Resources for Dentistry:  Utilization of the Internet to Support Professional Growth, Decision Making, and Patient Care," introduced the concept of "Assessing the Quality of Information."  The principles in that article apply to the additional Internet-based resources described here.3,4

The following are two descriptions of web sites that focus on this important issue:

DISCERN
http://www.discern.org.uk/
Although not interactive, this site enables users of information to answer complex questions about print or electronic resources, and it informs users about assessing the quality of information presented at a web site.  The site was developed through the collaboration of medical professionals in the scientific community.

The IQ Tool
http://hitiweb.mitretek.org/iq/
The IQ Tool, which tallies results interactively, is a tool designed to assist consumers in rating healthcare sites.  Visitors to the site answer "yes-or-no" questions online.  Most important in the feedback are the results related to what is "missing" from a site.  Like DISCERN, it was developed through collaboration of the medical professionals and the scientific community.

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