Chapter 2. Separating Fact from Fiction
Consumers obtain health information from nonprofessional, professional, and pseudoprofessional individuals as well as from educational institutions and from the media. Unfortunately, much of this information is misleading, inaccurate, or false.
The scientific method offers an objective way to evaluate information to determine what is false, but even scientists sometimes find it difficult to sort fact from fiction.
The intelligent health consumer should follow these practices:
| Maintain a healthy degree of skepticism toward health information received through the media. |
| Select practitioners with great care. |
| Become well-informed before making decisions to purchase and use health products and services; pay little or no attention to health advertising.. |
| Seek reliable sources of information. |
| Be familiar with the fundamental concepts used in the scientific method, including statistical concepts. |
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