Tell the FDA the whole story, please

November 8, 2009 · Filed Under policy issues · 43 Comments

I scan menus for keywords (fig, parsnips, salmon…) and it turns out I scan Twitter the same way, looking for anyone who is talking about my favorite topics (data, consumers, information quality…)

So when I saw Jonathan Richman’s tweet the other night, I couldn’t resist it:

Anyone ever seen data on the overall accuracy of medical information found online? Need help for some final stats for #fdasm

Short answer:

No.

Long answer:

The Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project has been reporting on the social impact of the internet since 2000, when “information quality” on health websites was a big part of the conversation. It was the era of wagging fingers, scolding patients for straying too far outside their boundaries, and Pew Internet data was ammunition.

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