The resource works in the following way:

• Members of the public submit any health claims they are curious about through iHealthFacts.ie — for example, is cold water swimming good for you, or does deodorant cause breast cancer;
• A team of researchers in University of Galway will then search for scientific evidence to support or refute the claim;
• The team will look for relevant studies in a systematic way — searching for not just one study but trying to find all available studies on the topic; and
• All the responses are reviewed by a team of Evidence Advisors from University of Galway, University College Dublin, Trinity College Dublin, University of Limerick, University College Cork, Atlantic Technological University and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, by a panel of Public and Patient Advisors, and by a health journalist before being published.

The University of Galway says that there may not always be definitive answers to the questions asked as good quality studies might not have been conducted on the topic. However, there may be recommendations from expert groups. iHealthFacts.ie will be explicit about the quality and certainty of the evidence underpinning all published answers.   Dr Paula Byrne, lead researcher with iHealthFacts.ie and post-doctoral researcher with Evidence Synthesis Ireland and Cochrane Ireland, said: “Unreliable claims can lead to poorly informed choices, under- or over-use of things we do to improve or maintain health. Unreliable claims can also lead to unnecessary waste and human suffering. iHealthFacts.ie offers a platform to help tease out the reliability of health claims. We hope it also helps the public think critically about health claims.”    iHealthFacts.ie is updated regularly. The researchers hope this information will help people think critically about health claims and make well-informed choices.