Start Here: You Heard a Guideline Changed. What Do You Do First?
When you hear that a health guideline changed, do not act on the headline. Look for the original page, check the date it shows for when it was written, reviewed, or updated, and ask your health care provider whether the change applies to you. A guideline is a written set of recommendations about care. The steps below show you how to check.
A note on limits: The two federal sources we used explain how to judge health information. They do not explain how any particular guideline is updated. So this guide combines their advice with a few practical suggestions from our team, and we label those suggestions.
Urgent symptoms come first. If you or someone else has sudden or severe symptoms, call your local emergency number now. Do not spend time searching for a guideline.
Do not change medicine because of a news story or post. Do not start, stop, or change any medicine or treatment on your own. Talk with your health care provider first.
By PiedmontPrimaryCare.com Wellness Team | Updated September 24, 2026
A Five-Step Map for Checking a Changed Guideline
Steps 2, 4, and 5 come from the MedlinePlus guidance on evaluating health information. Steps 1 and 3 add practical suggestions from our team, marked below.
- Write down what you heard. Note the exact claim, where you saw it, and the date. (Our suggestion.) This gives you something specific to check and to show your provider.
- Ask who is behind it and why. Find out who runs the site, what its purpose is, and who pays for it.
- Look for the original page and its date. Content pages should show when the information was written, reviewed, or updated. (Our suggestion: start on the website of the organization that says it published the guideline, and compare what that page says with what you heard.)
- Check whether other reliable sites say something similar. If a site seems trustworthy, do not stop there. See what other reliable sites say.
- Bring it to your provider. You may have found good information, but your provider can tell you whether it is good for you.
Why Is the News Story Not Enough?
MedlinePlus, a service of the National Library of Medicine, notes that news stories about medical research may leave out facts you need. It suggests asking these questions:
- Did the research involve people or animals?
- If it involved people, how many were in the study, and who were they?
- How long did the study last?
- What type of study was it?
- Who paid for the research?
If the story does not answer these questions, that is a sign to look for the original source before you decide what it means for you. Numbers in the news can also be hard to read. Our guide to absolute risk versus relative risk explains one common source of confusion.
How Can I Tell Whether a Page Is Trustworthy and Up to Date?
MedlinePlus says you can usually find most of these answers on a site's “About Us” page. It also says that if you cannot find out who runs a website, the site may not be trustworthy. Check these points:
- Who runs the site? MedlinePlus says you can generally find good health information on sites run by federal government agencies, medical schools, and large professional or nonprofit organizations. Trustworthy sites also give you a way to contact the owners.
- What is the purpose of the site? Is it to inform the public, sell products or services, or promote the opinions of a person or group? MedlinePlus says a trustworthy site has one goal: to give you good information.
- Who pays for the site? Ads should be clearly marked as ads. If a business pays for the site, the health information may favor that business and its products.
- How is the information chosen and reviewed? Look for an editorial board of health experts, a content review process, a content selection policy, or information about the writers' qualifications. Our guide to finding the author, reviewer, and update date walks through where to look.
- Where does the information come from? Content pages should link to or list their sources. If a page has none, see how to find the original guidance.
- Is it up to date? Look for dates when the page was written, reviewed, or updated. A date shows how current a page says it is. It does not by itself prove the information is correct. (Our note.)
A page can look polished and still fail these checks. Our five credibility checks cover that situation. Try these questions on us, too. Our About page and our How We Work page explain who we are, how we research, and how this site earns money.
What If I Saw the Change on Social Media?
MedlinePlus says a post from someone you know does not guarantee the information is good. Many of the same questions apply: where does it come from, why does it exist, and is anyone paying for it? If you are not sure a post is trustworthy, MedlinePlus advises not sharing it with others. Our checklist on what to check before sharing a health post can help.
What If Two Pages Disagree?
The two sources we used do not give a rule for this situation, so treat this as our practical suggestion rather than sourced guidance. Write down each page's source and date. Do not pick a side on your own. Take both pages to your provider and ask which one applies to you.
What Should I Ask My Provider?
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) publishes a list of 10 questions to help you take part in your own care. These questions from that list fit this situation well:
- What is the test for?
- When will I get the results?
- Are there any side effects?
- Will this medicine interact with medicines that I'm already taking?
- Why do I need this treatment?
- Are there any alternatives?
Our own suggested opener, which is not from AHRQ: “I read that this guidance changed. Can we look at the current version together, and does it apply to me?” For more help turning what you read into visit questions, see our guide to preparing questions from online research.
What Is Verified, What Is Guidance, and What Is Uncertain?
- Verified facts from the sources: MedlinePlus says reliable health information takes some effort to find and that content pages should show when information was written, reviewed, or updated. AHRQ publishes the list of 10 questions above.
- Expert guidance: MedlinePlus advises asking questions before you trust what you read or hear, and discussing what you find with your health care provider before you rely on it.
- Uncertainty: Neither source explains how any particular guideline is updated or where to find the newest version of a specific one. That is why the steps above focus on checking the source, the date, and your provider.
- Dates on our own sources: The MedlinePlus page was last updated February 26, 2024. The AHRQ page was last reviewed in November 2020. Noticing these dates is the same habit this guide teaches.
Change-Tracking Worksheet
This worksheet is our own tool, not from the sources. Fill in one block for each guideline change you hear about.
- What I heard the guideline now says: ______________________
- Where I heard it, and the date: ______________________
- The original page I found (name of the organization and page title): ______________________
- The written, reviewed, or updated date shown on that page: ______________________
- Does the original page say what I heard, or something different? ______________________
- What I could not find or confirm: ______________________
- My question for my provider: ______________________
Printable Checklist: Before You Act on a Guideline Change
- ☐ I called emergency services if anyone has sudden or severe symptoms.
- ☐ I wrote down exactly what I heard, where I saw it, and when.
- ☐ I found out who runs the source and what its purpose is.
- ☐ I checked who pays for the source, and whether ads are clearly marked.
- ☐ I found the original page and noted its written, reviewed, or updated date.
- ☐ I looked for sources or references on the page.
- ☐ I checked whether other reliable sites say something similar.
- ☐ If it was a news story, I looked for who was studied, how many, how long, what type of study, and who paid.
- ☐ I did not share a post I was unsure about.
- ☐ I wrote down my questions for my provider.
- ☐ I have not started, stopped, or changed any medicine or treatment without talking to my provider.
About This Guide and Its Limits
This article is general educational information, not medical advice. It does not diagnose, treat, or recommend any test or treatment, and it cannot tell you whether a guideline applies to you. Only your health care provider can do that.
PiedmontPrimaryCare.com is an independent wellness information website. It is not a medical practice and does not provide health care services. It is not affiliated with any medical practice operating under the name “Piedmont Primary Care” or any similar name. This domain was previously used by a health care provider that is no longer associated with this website. The “Wellness Team” byline is a collective site byline. It does not represent a doctor, clinic, school, or health agency.
Sources Used
- Evaluating Health Information, MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine (page last updated February 26, 2024)
- The 10 Questions You Should Know, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (page last reviewed November 2020)