Don't let Dr. Google have the final say about your health

When it comes to our health, is it possible to suffer from TMI – too much information?

About two-thirds of Canadians use the web to seek out health information. Almost 20 per cent of smartphone users have at least one health-related app. And health and fitness represents the fastest-growing app category.

This explosion of health care news and advice can be valuable for anyone who wants to take care of themselves. By some reports, the Internet is the first source of that information – but it shouldn't be the last word. There's still a need to separate good information from bad and avoid self-diagnosis. Online searches are no substitute for actual calls or visits with a health care practitioner.

“It's important to be an active participant in your health, which can include researching for reputable information about conditions, treatments and personal well-being. But this should never replace the insight of a regulated health care professional,” says Marshall Moleschi, president of the Federation of Health Regulatory Colleges of Ontario.

Here's a guideline for using online health care information to your best advantage:

• Do research to prepare for an appointment. This can help you organize questions. Leave it to the health care professional to provide the answers and help you understand what you've accessed on your own.

• Don't rely exclusively on online information. As one Canadian health journal described, online information can be a goldmine or a minefield. Sometimes, it is misleading or incomplete, and may not apply to your situation. Be wary of making big choices about your health or about different care or treatment options based only on your Googling.

• Ask a health care professional for sources. They can recommend worthwhile websites or apps, including ones from dependable sources (like hospitals, non-profit disease associations, and government bodies) that have objective information.

• Don't be afraid. Raising information you found online isn't challenging anyone's authority. In fact, it is commendable that patients and clients want to be informed health care consumers.

“Being well-informed,” says Moleschi, “and having discussions with a trusted regulated health professional, will help you make the best choices.”

In Ontario, 26 colleges regulate over 300,000 health care professionals. These bodies are required to act in the best interests of the public and hold their members accountable for their conduct and practice. (More information is available at www.regulatedhealthprofessions.on.ca .