According to a recent study conducted by American researchers, 9 Wikipedia pages out of 10, dedicated to health topics, contain many inaccuracies and therefore mislead readers.
We often tend to go online for information as soon as an unusual symptom appears. And as a result, many of us have already consulted the famous universal and collaborative Wikipedia encyclopedia, created in 2001, which currently lists more than 20,000 pages devoted to diseases and other health topics. However, according to American research, Internet users should remain vigilant and cautious about the various information they read on the online encyclopedia.
Wikipedia, a bad doctor?
A recent study published in the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association (JAOA) revealed that many Wikipedia pages dedicated to health topics contained errors. In this study, conducted by Robert T. Hasty at Campbell University, health experts looked at 10 English-speaking pages of diseases costing the US health care system the most, such as hypertension. , osteoarthritis, lung cancer, head trauma or back pain.
It is from reliable references from the scientific literature and their expertise that health professionals combed through the medical pages of the encyclopedia.
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Good to know : The principle of Wikipedia is to allow all Internet users to participate in the writing and enrichment of content, within the limit of regular checks. |
Conclusion, out of the 10 pages studied, 9 would turn out to be incorrect on certain points, which could potentially endanger Internet users seeking to self-diagnose and therefore to self-medicate. Only the medical file on head trauma would be deemed reliable by the scientific research committee.
The results of this American study revive the debate: should we believe everything we read on the Web? In this case, on this participatory encyclopedia which nevertheless appears very often in the first research results.
The medical consultation remains a safe bet
In case of doubts and fears about an unusual symptom or the disease, it is imperative to go to a health professional. The medical consultation remains the safest value to treat you effectively.
Remember also that self-medication is a practice that can be dangerous, although it is sometimes more tempting to try to self-medicate than to go for a consultation. It is also advisable to seek advice from your pharmacist before resorting to it.
Regarding the veracity and reliability of online health information, remember to check the positioning of the site and its objectives: are the sources always mentioned? Is the information presented objectively or does it tend to dictate your health behavior? Are the contents written by healthcare professionals? So many questions that are useful to ask.
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