How Much Can You TrustInformation on the Internet?

Some people believe that everything they see and read on the internet is true. Unfortunately, this observation also applies to patients seeking a cure for their troubles.

Advertising is forbidden in the medical profession. However, since advertising is not forbidden for companies, the source of the health advertisements circulating on the internet is not doctors but people trying to sell health services, who have been trained in non-health subjects (such as business, economics, hospital management and advertising). In addition, if one considers that informative articles written by doctors also do not go through any scientific review before being published on the internet, it is not possible for this information always to be correct either. You need to consider that people, even if they are doctors, will make mistakes, and that the information provided by a single doctor is limited to that doctor's knowledge and has not been reviewed.

It is for this reason that it will be beneficial to verify the information you obtain from the internet, which you turn to in order to form an opinion, especially on health matters, on the website of the national society of that specialty (see, for example, the Turkish Society of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons).

About 1.5 years ago, a patient of mine who came from Germany said to me: “Why are you not on the internet? If you are not on the internet, you do not actually exist in the real world either. I came because a friend recommended you to me. But not everyone is as lucky as I am to have a friend who will recommend you.” Because of this, I prepared my own website and published it. (see www.ibrahimcanter.com)

Before a year had passed, there was pleasant feedback about my site, through which I aim, as far as I can, to convey high-quality, reliable and up-to-date information to patients. An orthodontist colleague of mine mentioned that the results of an interesting study had been presented at their national congress this year. All the websites informing patients about Orthognathic Surgery had been extracted and evaluated against certain criteria determined by the researchers. (Orthodontics and beyond: The quality of web-based information on orthognathic surgery in Turkey) As a result of the evaluation, only 5 websites received a passing grade on all criteria. One of these five sites was my page providing information about orthognathic surgery. I was extremely pleased that work I had put effort into was valued in a scientific evaluation carried out in this way. I also extend my thanks to my orthodontist colleagues who carried out the study and conveyed this information to me.