How to Check Who Published, Updated, and Is Meant to Use a Health Fact Sheet

How Do You Check a Health Fact Sheet’s Publisher, Date, and Audience?

To check a health fact sheet, look for three things: a named publisher with contact information, a visible review or update date, and a stated audience such as patients or caregivers. If any of these is missing, treat the page’s claims as unverified until you find them elsewhere.

Terms to Know Before You Start

• Publisher: The organization legally responsible for the website, distinct from an individual writer, who may not be named at all.
• Review date: The date the medical content was last checked for accuracy, separate from the date it was first posted. A page can look “updated” without its facts having been reviewed.
• Intended audience: The specific group a fact sheet targets, such as newly diagnosed patients, caregivers, or clinicians. Guidance written for one group can mislead another.
• Funding source: Whoever pays to run the site — advertising, a single company, a nonprofit, or a government agency.
• Editorial policy: A public explanation of how the site selects, writes, and reviews content before publishing it.

For how we apply these terms to our own reporting, see our Editorial Policy and How We Research pages.

What Does a Transparent Fact Sheet Look Like Compared to a Weak One?

Trustworthy fact sheets tend to share these details up front:

• A named publisher with a working contact method, not just a form with no reply
• A visible “last reviewed” or “last updated” date on the page itself, not only on the sitemap
• A stated purpose, such as patient education, distinct from selling a product or service
• Links or citations to where the information came from, such as a government agency or a medical journal
• Plain disclosure of how the site is funded, including any ties to a specific company or product

Weaker or unreliable fact sheets tend to show these patterns instead:

• No named organization behind the content, or a name that leads to a dead end when searched
• No date anywhere on the page, or a date that hasn’t moved in years despite claims of being current
• Dramatic language, guaranteed results, or claims that one approach works for everyone
• No references, or references that don’t actually support the specific claim being made
• Content that reads like an advertisement but isn’t labeled as one

What Is the Step-by-Step Way to Check Any Health Fact Sheet?

1. Find the “About Us” page. Look for who runs the site and whether they explain their qualifications or editorial process.
2. Locate the review date. Check the bottom of the article or near the byline. If you can’t find one, that absence is itself useful information.
3. Identify who the sheet is written for. Check whether it states it’s intended for patients, caregivers, or professionals, since the appropriate level of detail varies for each.
4. Check how the site makes money. Look for an advertising disclosure and whether ads are clearly separated from the article content.
5. Follow at least one reference. If the sheet cites a study or guideline, open it and confirm it actually supports the specific claim.
6. Compare it to a second source. A single fact sheet, even a good one, shouldn’t be your only source for a health decision.
7. Write down your questions. Bring anything unclear or conflicting to your health care provider rather than resolving it yourself.

If you can’t find a publisher name or a review date within a minute of looking, treat the page as unverified and check the same information on a second site before acting on anything it says. Our Start Here page walks through how to apply this checklist across the topics we cover.

Does This Checklist Work for News Stories and Social Media Too?

The same publisher, date, and purpose questions apply outside of formal fact sheets. For a news story about medical research, check whether it says how many people were studied, how long the study ran, and who paid for it. For a social media post, ask where the claim originated and who funds the account making it — and if you can’t tell, don’t share it further until you can. A personal story shared anywhere, including in a fact sheet’s patient testimonial, is not the same as scientific evidence; even a true story may not predict how something will work for you.

If the Fact Sheet Describes Urgent Symptoms

Some fact sheets exist to help you decide whether something needs immediate attention. If a page describes symptoms like sudden chest pain, difficulty breathing, sudden weakness on one side of the body, or a severe allergic reaction, do not run through this checklist first. Contact your local emergency services right away.

Talk to Your Provider About What You Find

Even a well-sourced, clearly dated fact sheet from a reputable publisher is general information. It can’t account for your personal health history, current medications, or other conditions. Print or save pages you find useful and bring your questions to your next appointment so your provider can tell you whether the information applies to your situation.

Frequently Asked Questions

How old can a health fact sheet be before it’s outdated?

General guidance from MedlinePlus suggests looking for content no more than 2 to 3 years old and checking that the specific page — not just the site’s home page — shows its own last-updated date.

Does a .gov, .edu, or .org web address guarantee good information?

No single domain ending guarantees quality, but it’s a useful clue. A .gov site is run by a government agency, .edu by an educational institution, and .org often by a professional or nonprofit organization, while .com sites are typically run by for-profit companies and may have a business interest in the content.

Is a personal story in a fact sheet the same as scientific evidence?

No. A personal account can be genuine and still not apply to your situation, since it isn’t controlled research. Look for it alongside references to studies or guidelines, not in place of them.

What if a fact sheet doesn’t say who funds the website?

Treat that as a gap, not a minor detail. Funding can shape which treatments or claims a site emphasizes, so a trustworthy fact sheet will disclose it, whether that’s advertising, a nonprofit’s donors, or a company’s own product line.

Should I trust one fact sheet on its own?

No. Even a fact sheet that passes every check in this guide should be compared against at least one other reliable source before you rely on it for a health decision.

Sources and Review

This guide is educational information, not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and does not replace a conversation with a licensed health care provider. See our full medical information disclaimer and our corrections policy if you spot an error.

Sourced from and cross-checked against the National Library of Medicine’s MedlinePlus patient guidance on evaluating online health information and its topic page on evaluating health information.

By Health Evidence Literacy Guide Editorial Team. Last reviewed: September 2026.