Digital education and responsible behaviour: the gold standards for improving quality of medical and health-related information on the Internet - See more at: http://bid.ub.edu/en/31/hernandez3.htm#sthash.rja3tNQG.dpuf

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this article is to present the state of the art in the quality of health information on the Internet; to identify who the leading actors are and which the situations of the new information and communication scenario where technologies, users and information converge are; as well as pointing out the ways which contribute to the improvement of both the quality of health and medical online information and users’ information literacy skills. -- Methods: Literature review and analysis of the current context of information and communication regarding the quality of health and medical information on the Internet. -- Results: Immersed in the so-called network society, we have identified the protagonists of the new information and communication scenario, the matters they share, and the recurrent problem resulting from the introduction of new technologies within their relationships. Health is an issue of general interest, and health and medical information is one of the most requested topics online. New technologies have led users to be more proactive in their personal health care, and social web has moved into a leadership position in the network. Users with different profiles share affinities and values ​​in a place where the quality of information becomes the cornerstone of the framework composed by provider–user–information. The gold-standard treatments for improving the quality of health and medical information on the Internet, as well as users’ literacy skills, are the responsible behaviour of all actors and the digital education.

Keywords

• Internet
• Medical sciences
• Information quality
• Information consumption
• Informational alphabetization