Where to turn for sound health information
Fact checked by Jim Lacy
If you think it’s harder these days to discern which information to use to make health decisions, you may be right.
Normally, there is alignment between the federal health agencies — such as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) — and state health agencies, such as the Illinois Department of Health (IDPH). That alignment is based on a commitment to evidence-based research and treatments, which guide public health policy.
However, during the Covid-19 pandemic, a major fissure in public health policy opened in response to how to treat and prevent the virus. Those in authority, including then-President Donald Trump, extolled a number of infamous cures, such as hydroxychloroquine and bleach, despite the lack of evidence.
Yet, the erosion of public confidence in vaccines did not originate because of Covid-19 dysfunction at the federal level; rather, the preceding years saw declining rates of vaccination for measles, mumps, and rubella, among others. The Covid pandemic simply lit a match under existing vaccine skepticism and unleashed a wave of conspiracies, fueled in large part by social media and political preferences.
Confusion about proper public health policy persists today. Stay on the right track as you sort through the cacophony of health information with these tips.
1 . Stay local
Make your primary healthcare provider (PHP) your primary source for health information. “Your general medical provider has traditionally been the deep source of healthcare information,” says Sameer Vohra, MD, JD, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health. “They are often the right source of information because of their training, understanding, and expertise. And they know you enough to provide the kind of argument that appeals to you.”
2 . Verify your information
Use the same process to decide whether to get the next Covid vaccine as you would, for example, buying a new car. Like the quirky uncle who swears by Ford trucks, there’s also the know-it-all friend who tells us that liquid garlic will prevent cancer.
Their input can be helpful as one source of information. If reliable sources — your primary healthcare provider, a de facto medical institution like the Mayo Clinic, and your local public health agency — reaffirm their opinion, then you’re probably on the right track.
“No one should blindly follow one source,” says Hassan Khouli, MD, chair of critical care medicine at the Cleveland Clinic. “People should vet any health information with multiple sources. State and federal agencies, hospitals like the Cleveland Clinic, and medical journals are all good resources to use.”
3 . Vet your sources
Whether it’s a federal or state agency, a hospital system or a medical journal, trustworthy sources cross-vet and validate their information. For instance, advisory bodies, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Physicians, provide guidance to state and local agencies on healthcare policy.
Third-party organizations, such as US News & World Report and Leapfrog rate hospitals, while The Joint Commission accredits hospitals.
In addition, studies published in medical journals that are robustly peer-reviewed, rather than a YouTube account from a lone MD, are more reliable resources.
4 . Beware the carnival barkers
If someone on television or online is trying to sell you something to cure your condition or reverse aging, tune them out.
For instance, before launching his own nicotine supplement brand, commentator Tucker Carlson hawked ZYN nicotine pouches as a way to improve concentration and virility. When you see a celebrity whose career has nothing to do with healthcare pitching a treatment, ask yourself: Are their claims FDA-approved? Were they vetted with trusted health sources? How much is this person getting paid from this product?
“We want people to be informed, to ask questions, to be inquisitive,” Khouli says.
Each of us has to make hundreds of decisions every day, including some about our health. Remain curious and skeptical, rely on a consortium of sources, and know how to vet them.
Originally published in the Spring/Summer 2025 print issue.
Dan Dean is a writer, cancer survivor, and founder of Cancer Dudes, which supports men after being diagnosed with cancer.
