What is HealthGuard?
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Extension summary
HealthGuard, a service of NewsGuard, helps you identify trustworthy sources of health news and information as you browse the web — and warns you when you encounter links to sites with unreliable health or medical information.
A team of trained HealthGuard analysts has reviewed and rated hundreds of health and medical news and information sites, assessing each site based on nine journalistic criteria. Generally credible sites get a “Green” rating, meaning they adhere to basic standards of accuracy and transparency. Sites that publish health misinformation such as unproven treatments or bogus medical studies are flagged with a “Red” rating, meaning you should read them with a grain of salt.
Even if you find information on health sites that HealthGuard has identified as generally trustworthy, it’s always a good idea to talk to your doctor about any issues, rather than trusting information you find online. Even accurate information may apply differently to different patients, and there’s no substitute for years of medical training and expertise. The internet should not be your doctor, and neither is HealthGuard.
Instead, think of HealthGuard as a trusty sidekick to keep you away from untrustworthy health advice, and to point you toward more trustworthy sources, as you browse the web.
HealthGuard is for personal use only. Any commercial use of HealthGuard is strictly prohibited by the NewsGuard Terms of Service.
User reviews
- High quality help in identifying misinformation about COVID-19 and vaccines.
- Easy to navigate with transparently displayed metrics.
- Helps users identify trustworthy sources of health information.
- Very useful during uncertain times, especially for educators and researchers.
- Thorough ratings and reviews on healthcare sites and misinformation.
- Requires an access code to function, which is unclear to some users.
- Identifying misinformation about health and COVID-19.
- Helpfulness and accuracy of the tool.
- Importance for educators and researchers.
User reviews
Extension safety
Risk impact
HealthGuard requires some sensitive permissions that could impact your browser and data security. Exercise caution before installing.
Risk likelihood
HealthGuard may not be trust-worthy. Avoid installing if possible unless you really trust this publisher.
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