Find a clearer starting point for health information

Reliable reading starts with the source, the date and the purpose.

Start with a useful question

When a health headline catches your attention, pause to identify who published it and why. Check whether it describes research, personal experience or an advertisement. These are different kinds of information and should not be treated as interchangeable.

Related reading: Prepare useful questions for a medical appointment · Think about wellbeing in your own context

Put the idea into practice

Read the original source where possible and check when it was published or reviewed. Look for the limits of the evidence, the population it describes and any commercial interest. Write down what remains unclear rather than filling a gap with an assumption.

Review what you learn

Use general information to prepare questions, not as a diagnosis or a personalised treatment plan. An appropriately qualified healthcare professional can help relate evidence to an individual situation. The official resource below offers a starting point for further reading.