Key points
- Never trust a claim you can’t trace. In 60 seconds, you can validate whether a source is real, relevant, and not being misrepresented.
- For AI tools, the risk is not only hallucination; it’s ‘citation laundering’ (real source, wrong claim).
- Use a 3-check sequence: source authenticity → claim alignment → recency/context.
Citations are not automatically proof. Many modern tools market “answers with references”, but the practical question is: do those references actually support the specific claim you’re about to rely on? This toolkit gives you a rapid, non-clinical verification routine designed for clinicians using point-of-care tools or AI search.
The 60-second routine
1
Check 1 — Authenticity (15 seconds)
Open the source link. Confirm it is what it says it is (official organisation page, journal, guideline). If you can’t open it, downgrade the answer immediately.
2
Check 2 — Alignment (30 seconds)
Scan the source for the exact claim being made. If the tool cited a broad document, locate the relevant section heading. If you can’t find support quickly, the citation isn’t doing its job.
3
Check 3 — Context (15 seconds)
Ask: does this source apply to my context (UK/NHS vs other), and is it current enough for the decision type? If context mismatch exists, treat it as background, not authority.
Citation laundering (the subtle failure mode)
A tool can cite a real guideline or paper while making a claim that isn’t actually in that source. This is why you verify the strongest claim, not the existence of a link.
SourceExample of ‘citation-first’ positioning: OpenEvidence (official)
Open Link SourceExample of ‘no hallucinations’ positioning: Praktiki (official)
Open Link SourceExample of ‘science-based answers’ positioning: MediSearch (official)
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Open the source link. Confirm it is what it says it is (official organisation page, journal, guideline). If you can’t open it, downgrade the answer immediately.
Return to this sectionScan the source for the exact claim being made. If the tool cited a broad document, locate the relevant section heading. If you can’t find support quickly, the citation isn’t doing its job.
Return to this sectionAsk: does this source apply to my context (UK/NHS vs other), and is it current enough for the decision type? If context mismatch exists, treat it as background, not authority.
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