Addressing the Growing Concerns Over the Credibility of Online Medical Resources

The credibility of internet material and online resources has always been questioned for multiple reasons. It is the internet that allows people to go through medical records and other required details whenever it is needed for their work or research. However, the problem occurs when it comes to the credibility of the same records. This is what makes the experts and researchers discuss the growing concerns over credibility of online medical resources. A lot of medical websites mispresent the details and content and people related to the medical field can not take the risk by going with inaccurate or wrong medical information as it may mess with the right diagnosis followed by a wrong treatment which can also claim human lives.

Discuss the growing concerns over credibility of online medical resources.

As we all understand how the advanced technology and availability of the internet have made people’s lives easier. It has also made people discuss the credibility of online resources. Many times when students or researchers have to work on their dissertations or research papers in the medical field, they have to worry about the authenticity of the references. Though, there is a huge collection of medical information available online but not all of it is credible and the source of authenticity is a must to put in the bibliography of the university papers and thesis.

Medical resources online

Among the pool of medical resources, it has become tough to scan the right ones and people often have to suffer due to the fact that they don’t get the things right and it further creates issues in their diagnoses and timely treatment. A few of the important treatments are:

UpToDate

It is one of the most trusted medical resources online. It is reviewed by the physicians and every publication gets through a lengthy and effective review process to make sure the accuracy and timeliness, of the information provided. UpToDate is considered an authentic source for more than 90% of US-based medical and healthcare centers. According to the survey most of the doctors and residents like to consult this platform before they go to any other medium.

However, an interesting thing to note is that it is not for the physician resource exclusively and healthcare institutions also have to train the nurses and other medical staff and professionals so that they know how to use and manage professional care.

PubMed

This is the official website of the US national library of medicine which is linked to the National institutes of health. The articles and abstracts presented on this website are reviewed by peers and professionals.

Using PubMed could be hectic. As this database is massive and comprehensive so looking for the relevant and given situation could be tough and also draining. There is an easy search feature available though to explore the numerous studies. There is an advanced search feature too which helps to get familiar with the functions which are available for medical professionals.

WebMD

WebMD is one of the reliable sources and also a great place to conduct research, interactions, syndromes, and a lot more.

It is a US-located company and Jeff Arnold founded this company. This company was a result of the merger of two other companies that were striving to make accurate and up-to-date medical data and content which is available online.

Back in the early 2000s, WebMD became one of the most popular websites for medical professionals. It even overtook government-run websites due to its user-friendly nature. The articles are reviewed by specialty doctors and pharmacists who go through the details to ensure accuracy. So this is one of the authentic online medical information resources.

Trusted online medical resources

There are hundreds of medical resources online but not all of these are trusted and credible. Medical information and content is a sensitive field and area hence it asks for professional and expert people.

World health organization

WHO is the United Nations integral part and it focuses on global health and research mainly. It has played a vital role during the pandemic peak days and the factors responsible for COVID-19.

It is one of the most trusted and authentic sources and is also official. They have plenty of information about the regional pandemics including HIV, Ebola, tuberculosis, and Malaria. They work on fact sheets, picture libraries, and other helpful resources for medical professionals.

Other than HIV, a lot of these conditions doctors have seen rarely. So, it is quite better to have research from the experts who are leading the industry and who are handling the diseases in the different parts of the world where there are particular diseases that are more common.

There is regular publishing of the WHO website where there is a news related to the conditions that they dive into around the globe and deal with the topics such as infant mortality hearing loss or malnutrition, particularly for kids.

Other trusted online mediums include

• Save a life
• WebMD
• Merck Manuals
• Clinical Key

Medical research online resources

The easy availability of the internet has made it quite convenient for people to chip in information related to their field. This is extremely important to consult authentic mediums online for research papers and write-ups.

A few of these are

Medscape Reference

It is quite free and easy to access. It offers a variety of wealth of medical information that has been designed for the healthcare community. Medscape also provides information about a variety of medical conditions which include categories such as presentation, etiology, workup, and disease treatment. A research paper always requires solid information and Medscape is the right platform to provide convenient and organized authentic information.

Journal of the American medical association (JAMA)

JAMA contains a huge collection of medical information which can help students and researchers with their research papers. It also has a feature that allows browsing the most recent topic or issue of the journal for a specific topic of interest. It has a premium subscription and a lot of schools and institutes have taken the subscription to offer free services to their students.

Other online medical research might include

• British Medical Journal (BMJ)
• UpToDate
• PubMed

Online medical training resources

A lot of individuals who are medical students or related to the medical industry by any means are always looking to enhance their knowledge and polish their skills. Universities and colleges often fail to provide sources to their students. However, there are a lot of online resources that can provide training to students. These platforms also offer MCQs, investigations, clinical approaches, and anatomy which enable students to understand everything quite easier.

Five of the authentic online medical training platforms include

1. Osmosis
2. Passmedicine
3. Amboss
4. Med Mastery
5. Online MedEd

Due to the sensitivity and complexity that the medical field contains the students should be mindful of the fact of the credibility and should be looking to discuss the growing concerns over credibility of online medical resources to ensure the accuracy and precision in their work and also to make sure that their efforts are not wasted.

Most of the above-mentioned platforms offer free online resources for medical students which helps them to work on their research papers and assignments even better.

Final words

The easy availability of medical content has made experts worry and concerned over the growing questions about the credibility of online medical resources. The importance of credibility and authenticity can not be overlooked in the medical field. Therefore, it is important to address these concerns and take measures accordingly. Also, the most trusted and authentic online medical resources have also been shared for a better understanding of the readers.