Many people usually research their health problems on the Internet before seeking medical help. But health information from the web is not always accurate or even serious and, above all, cannot replace medical advice. Only with sufficient health literacy can you benefit from health information.
Health literacy involves finding, understanding, evaluating, and applying health information.
To find
You can find trustworthy health information primarily at the following addresses:
Federal Ministry of Health.de
bzga.de
gesund.bund.de
gesundheitsinformation.de
Understand
- Wenn Sie bestimmte Informationen nicht verstehen, wenden Sie sich gerne an unser Gesundheitstelefon. Hier erreichen Sie ärztliches Fachpersonal, um Ihre Fragen ausführlich und ohne Zeitdruck zu beantworten.
- Unter gesund.bund.de/service/beratung-und-hilfe#beratung-und-hilfe finden Sie eine Auswahl an möglichen Beratungs- und Servicestellen. Viele dieser Anlaufstellen können zusätzliche Informationsangebote und Ansprechpersonen benennen.
- Auch die Kassenärztliche Bundesvereinigung bietet Aufklärung, hilft bei der Arztsuche und vermittelt Facharzttermine.
Evaluate
Trustworthy information can be identified on the basis of various characteristics. Reputable health information usually has quality awards for assessing online health information, such as afgis or HON code.
The websites should be free of advertising and brand names, texts should be up-to-date. It should always be stated that this health information does not replace a visit to the doctor. You can find tips on evaluating health information at patienten-information.de/kurzinformationen/gesundheitsthemen-im-internet
Tips for online research on health topics can be found at
- Adults at healthy-on-the-web.net
- Young people at click2health.net
Apply
Once you have found and understood reputable health information, you can make informed decisions about your health. If you are still not sure, get more information.
