QLexNursing

🧠 Teaching patients how to evaluate credible online sources builds their health literacy and independence in managing their health.

🧠 This includes showing them how to identify reputable sites (e.g., .gov, .edu, major health organizations) and avoid commercial or biased content.

🧠 Patients learn to look for current, referenced, and evidence-based information, which reduces the risk of acting on misinformation.

🧠 By empowering patients to judge quality themselves, the nurse supports shared decision-making and long-term self-management.

🧠 This is more effective than simply giving a list of sites, because it strengthens the patient’s critical thinking and digital literacy skills.

Recommending any health-related website

🧠 Recommending “any” site ignores the need for credibility, accuracy, and bias evaluation.

🧠 Some health sites can provide misleading or unsafe information, so indiscriminate recommendation is not appropriate.

Referring patients exclusively to social media groups

🧠 Social media may contain anecdotal or non–evidence-based opinions, often lacking professional moderation.

🧠 It should never be the sole or primary source of health information recommended by nurses.

Avoiding technology use altogether

🧠 Avoiding technology does not prevent misinformation; patients will often search on their own anyway.

🧠 The nurse’s role is to guide safe and informed use, not to exclude technology completely.