RESEARCH: Finding Credible Information
on IM
If a remedy or treatment sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
So, how can you find credible information before you integrate new integrative
therapies into your healthcare?
Talk to your healthcare practitioner(s).
- Tell them about specific symptoms you are experiencing and/or health
goals you would like to achieve. Ask them to recommend suitable therapies.
- Tell them about the therapy (prescription or non-prescription)
you are considering. Ask about safety, effectiveness, side effects,
timeline, costs, and potential interactions with medications (prescription
or non-prescription).
- Tell them about specific symptoms you are experiencing and/or health
goals you'd like to achieve. Ask them to recommend suitable therapies.
- Ask them about the quality and results of evidence for or against
potential therapies.
- Ask them to help you interpret any scientific articles you have
found.
- If they can't answer your questions, feel free to ask them for
the name of someone who may know more.
Go online.
Not all integrative medicine (or even general health) sites feature credible
information. While researching online, keep asking yourself ten simple questions
about online medical resources:
- Who runs
this site?
- Who pays
for the site?
- What is the
purpose of the site?
- Where does
the information come from?
- What is the
basis of the information?
- How is the
information selected?
- How current
is the information?
- How does
the site choose links to other sites?
- What information
about you does the site collect, and why?
- How
does the site manage interactions with visitors?
Questions from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative
Medicine (NCCAM)
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