Q: Whenever a member of my family is injured or has symptoms of an illness, we look online for more information. Can the information we're reading be trusted?

A: There is no shortage of health-related information on the Internet, and while it is great to have so much information available at the click of a mouse, it can often be difficult to determine what you can trust and what is irrelevant -- or even harmful.

It's helpful to scrutinize a website to determine if the information is credible, reliable and useful.

By asking a few simple questions, you can become familiar with what to look for in a health website and what to avoid.

* Who owns this website? Look for an "About Us" page to help you understand what the authors are trying to do on the site.

There is a reason they developed the site in the first place, and this section usually helps clarify it. Credentials and contact information should be listed in this section. A site that doesn't include this may not be disclosing everything, and you may want to proceed with caution.

* What is the site's purpose? Is it a commercial site designed to sell products? A government site explaining current guidelines or policy changes? Or the website of an organization promoting awareness?

These are all valid reasons for establishing a website, and when you identify the site's purpose, you can determine any biases that might be present.

For example, a site might have excellent information about a particular product, but if the purpose of the site is to sell and promote that product, it may be biased.

In this case, you might want to get a second opinion from a source that doesn't have a vested interest in the product.

* Is the information factual? Does research back up the information presented, and does the site list references to other reputable sources?

Some websites may seem professional, but a closer look can reveal that the information presented is the site owner's opinion or their own personal experiences.

Again, this information can be valid, but it is important to know what you are dealing with before you make any decisions.

* Is the information current? The website should clearly state when it was last updated.

This is crucial because health information can change quickly, and something that was valid in 2007 may not be relevant now.

Websites that don't include a date or those that have not been updated recently should be looked at carefully, and users should apply some of the other questions to determine if a site is reputable.

Remember that a bit of skepticism can come in handy when doing research on the Internet.

Consider the source, the author and the bias and then make your decisions.

As the saying goes, "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is."

To learn more about finding reputable health information online, visit:

* Canadian Public Health Association, Evaluating Health Information Online: cpha.ca/en/portals/h-l/web.aspx

* Project False Hope: competitionbureau.gc.ca/healthfraud

* Health Insight: Taking Charge of Health Information, www.health-insight.harvard.edu

Elizabeth Obermeyer-Kostash is a Patient & Family Resource Centre Librarian at Juravinski Cancer Centre.

This column is based on a podcast that the author did on the Juravinski Cancer Centre website.

Here is a link to the podcast in case you'd like to link to it on The Spectator website; however, it's pretty much the same as the column -- jcc.hhsc.ca/body.cfm?id=273.