Health on the internet The amount of health information on the internet is daunting, but there are ways you can check if a site is reliable and accurate.

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Not so long ago, health information came from your doctor or a book. A family health encyclopaedia might contain a few paragraphs about your condition, as long as it wasn't too rare or too complex.

These days, when an internet search engine throws up almost 15 million results for 'migraine' and more than 220 million for 'cancer', it's harder to know where to begin.

So how do you tell trustworthy health information websites from those without genuine expertise?

One place to start is a 'portal' or gateway to websites that meet certain standards. Among these are Intute (formerly called OMNI) and the Health on the Net Foundation.

The HON code of conduct, for example, says that a website should not claim to replace the relationship between doctor and patient. So steer clear of any sites offering a diagnosis via email.

The code also says a site should make clear who pays for it and give the qualifications of the authors. Look for the 'about us' and 'contact us' links, which give information about how a site is funded and run. Beware of sites without transparent information.

The internet is fine for non-urgent background research, but if someone's in pain, or clearly needs medical attention, don't waste time online - call a doctor or dial 999.

If you don't use a portal, use common sense. As a general rule, well-known and well-respected organisations are more likely to offer reliable and unbiased health advice on the net, so look for a name with clout.

Examples include Best Treatments, NHS Direct in England and Wales, NHS 24 in Scotland.

Another useful source of health information are the National Library for Health patient information leaflets.

Website names ending with '.ac' are run by academic institutions so will almost certainly be authoritative, but may be aimed at experts rather than patients. Those which end '.org' are usually managed by not-for-profit organisations including charities, while '.gov' signifies a government body.

Remember, anybody can register a web address so it's worth carrying out some research on the organisation to check their reliability.

Another pointer to the reliability of a site is the frequency with which it's updated. If you're reading information that hasn't been altered or edited for five years, it could be wrong or misleading and there's a good chance it won't give you the full picture, so always check for a date on the site.

Don’t rely on information from only one site – cross-check information and advice from different organisations.

In some cases there'll be legitimate differences of opinion about the best treatment or the outlook for someone with a particular condition, but any site that tells you something you've not come across anywhere else, or claims to offer a unique 'miracle' cure, should be treated with extreme caution.

Avoid any site that offers to sell you prescription-only medication without ensuring you have a prescription.

If you opt for an online pharmacy to dispense your prescription medication, look for one that follows the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain code of ethics by displaying the name of the business owner and the address of the business. The site should also tell you how to confirm the pharmacy is properly registered with the relevant authority.

Shopping for pills and potions via the internet without a prescription is dangerous not only because you may end up taking something that's not right for you, but because there's no way of knowing whether the drug is what it claims to be.

A good starting place if you’re looking for guidance on the best websites for a specific health issue is a support group for people living with the condition.

They should be able to tell you which sites their members find the most helpful and/or reliable.

There are countless support groups on the internet and can themselves be extremely useful sources of health information. Remember to narrow your search if you only want to find groups in the UK, or your area.

For people with a rare, life-long or distressing health condition, and for the parents of children with long-term or life-threatening disorders, the knowledge that others understand their experience can make an enormous and positive difference.

If you can't find a support group that meets your needs, why not consider setting one up yourself? The BBC offers information and advice about creating websites and mailing lists at www.bbc.co.uk/webwise.

This article was last medically reviewed by Dr Rob Hicks in February 2007.