Health · Health admin and know-how
Health Sense: reliable health information, AI, apps and your doctor
Six lessons built on official guidance from WHO, the CDC, MedlinePlus, the TGA, MHRA, FDA, OAIC, HHS, healthdirect, NIA and the NHS: judging sources, AI chatbots and apps, your health data, and preparing questions for appointments. It never tells you what’s wrong.
About this course
Health literacy: find reliable information, use AI and apps safely, and talk to your doctor.
Starter · About 1.25 hours of learning · 6 lessons · 19 quick checks · 1 download
Who it's for
Adults who want to find reliable health information, use AI chatbots and health apps carefully, and prepare for appointments, in Australia, the UK, the US or elsewhere.
How it works
6 guided lessons in your browser, with worked examples, exercises and a quick check after each lesson. Progress is saved in this browser only, and you can restart at any time. You start with just your first name and email, and you can take one whole course that way. After that, a free account lets you continue past lesson 1.
Sources we rely on
27 published sources, mostly regulators and official bodies, listed below so you can check the original guidance yourself.
By the end you can
- Describe health literacy in the words official bodies use
- Judge a health page by who runs it, its purpose, funding and warning signs
- Explain the risks WHO describes for AI chatbots, and use them only to understand and prepare
- Tell a wellness app from a regulated medical device app, and protect your health data
- Prepare questions and information for an appointment, and know the urgent-help lines
Downloads
- Question and source-check template .docxA source checklist from MedlinePlus’s questions, an app check, AI chatbot safety rules, an appointment planner and urgent-help lines by country.
Rules by country
Learning time
About 1.25 hours of learning. May count towards your CPD or professional development; check your professional body's rules. Estimated from reading time, exercises, quick checks and downloads.
Sources
Check the originals.
How these courses are made. Spotted an error or out-of-date rule? Send a correction.
General information only, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or another qualified health professional about your situation. In an emergency call 000 (AU), 999 (UK), 911 (US/Canada) or 111 (NZ).
- Health literacy: fact sheet · World Health Organization
- What is health literacy? · Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US)
- Health literacy · Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care
- Evaluating health information · MedlinePlus, US National Library of Medicine
- WHO calls for safe and ethical AI for health (16 May 2023) · World Health Organization
- WHO releases AI ethics and governance guidance for large multi-modal models (18 January 2024) · World Health Organization
- Software-based medical devices for consumers · Therapeutic Goods Administration (Australia)
- Medical devices: software applications (apps) · Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (UK)
- Device software functions including mobile medical applications · US Food and Drug Administration
- Health information · Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
- Getting copies of your information (SAR) · Information Commissioner’s Office (UK)
- Smart products · Information Commissioner’s Office (UK)
- Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) · Information Commissioner’s Office (UK)
- Individuals’ right to access health information · US Department of Health and Human Services
- How websites and apps collect and use your information · Federal Trade Commission (US)
- Questions to ask your doctor · healthdirect (Australian Government-funded)
- How to prepare for a doctor’s appointment · National Institute on Aging (US)
- Talking with your doctor worksheets · National Institute on Aging (US)
- Appointments and bookings at your GP surgery · NHS (UK)
- Triple Zero (000) · Australian Government, Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts
- Australian health services and 24-hour health advice line · healthdirect (Australian Government-funded)
- Lifeline Australia: 13 11 14 · Lifeline Australia
- When to call 999 · NHS (UK)
- NHS 111 online · NHS (UK)
- Contact a Samaritan: 116 123 · Samaritans (UK and Ireland)
- National 911 Program · 911.gov (US Government)
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline · 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (US)
Publisher
Who publishes this course.
Published by trainyourself.org, a trading name of Combine TRS Pty Ltd (ABN 42 112 983 678), Brisbane, Australia.
How it's made: researched from published official public-health and government guidance, then run through automated quality checks against our course depth standard and automated source checks that match each rule to its official source, listed above. Read how these courses are made.
Last updated:
General information, not tax, accounting, legal or professional advice. Spotted an error or an out-of-date rule? Send us a correction.
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