*If you’re experiencing a medical emergency, call 911 or go to your closest emergency department – don’t wait.

These days, it’s second nature to turn to the internet for answers to just about any question – whether you’re looking for a recipe, booking a vacation or wondering about wellness. But it pays to be careful when you’re searching for health information online; misinformation is rampant and privacy concerns are real. Here’s our guide to managing your health online.

Look locally

Nova Scotia’s health information webpage, YourHealthNS, is every Nova Scotian’s first stop for managing your health online. In addition to helping you track your appointments and test results and manage your immunization records (when was your last tetanus shot, anyway?), you can also download an up-to-date summary of your health information – just what you need if you’re seeing a new physician or visiting the emergency department and you want to make sure your care team is up to date.

YourHealthNS is also a good resource if you’re looking for information on healthy living. Find information about alcohol use, chronic pain, cancer care, and bone and joint health, or connect with virtual wellness programs on topics including mental health, parenting and healthy eating.

Ask the experts

If you have a health concern, it’s natural to want more information. But where you look for that information matters. Finding local, trusted resources – information that you’ll understand, that is applicable in your area – is important. You can search by topic on the Nova Scotia health website to find trusted information and connections to local resources that you can access for additional support. Consult your local hospital webpage for information specific to your area, or look up the IWK Health website for information related to pediatric concerns (especially that perennial question: Should I take my child to the ED?).

If you want more information, look to other reliable sources – ones that are written by experts, backed by research and free of undue political interference. Health Canada is a good resource and England’s National Health Service also provides simple, no-nonsense advice. In this era of political upheaval in the United States, beware that formerly reliable healthcare websites may no longer be presenting the full picture. You’re better off looking to Canadian resources.

Stay skeptical

When you’re looking for health information, be skeptical – especially about advice that comes from “influencers” or artificial intelligence websites such as ChatGPT. Look for credentials, verify information independently and remember that if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

This is especially true when it comes to “Dr. AI.” A study by researchers at the University of British Columbia recently reported that large language models such as ChatGPT are not only offering medical information, they’re also often more convincing and empathetic with than real people.

The human-like tone of AI-generated responses paired with their confident presentation can convince users that the information is trustworthy, even when it’s inaccurate. And inaccuracy is a big problem – a team of Canadian researchers at the University of Waterloo asked ChatGPT v.4 a series of open-ended medical questions and discovered that 70% of its answers were incorrect.

When in doubt, talk to a doc

Ultimately, nothing beats talking to your physician. If you’re worried, call and make an appointment with your primary care provider. If that’s not possible, access care at a virtual, walk-in or mobile clinic, or talk to another healthcare provider.

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