Health Information on the Web? Look for HONcodes!

With the easy access of the Internet today, there is an explosion of information to choose from. By typing anything to any search engines (just Google it), list of links are readily accessible for you to explore. It really is a like a digitized library, an intangible source of knowledge. Think of it as a repository of books but on-screen. I prefer mine hardbound or paperback.

In healthcare setting, sources of information comes in handy if it's readily available to you. If you think of hand-held books that are too bulky, who in their right mind would carry them while making their rounds? We pharmacists are not a walking library. Not every information thrown at us can be answered immediately. That is why we consult reliable sources of information. Carrying one drug handbook may be enough but two books may be a handful.

Smartphones and tablets can become our trusty allies when it comes to health information. With so much resources that we could use on the internet, how can we tell if it's reliable or not? Well, my friend, say hello to HONcode.

(https://www.hon.ch/images/honcode_big.jpg)

What is a HONcode?

The Health on the Net Foundation Code of Conduct (HONcode) insures the credibility of any given information published by a website. It intends to rate the quality of the information provided by a website. It defines a set of rules to hold website developers to basic ethical standards in the presentation of information and helps make sure that the readers always know the source and the purpose of the data they are reading(https://www.hon.ch/HONcode/). 

This logo is attached to any website with subscription. It can be found in the lowest section of the website. 

Just remember if you want to find a reliable website that possesses credible information, look for the HONcode.