From: Consumer access to health information on the internet: health policy implications
Characteristics of internet information |
• Rapidly evolving and uncontrolled growth of information |
• Transcends international borders |
• Is not owned and cannot be controlled by any individual, organisation or country |
• Inability to restrict consumer access |
• Quality of information is varied and cannot be guarantied |
• High cost of constructing and maintaining a comprehensive and user friendly government health information website |
• Potentially lower cost of information dissemination in comparison with traditional media |
• Timeliness, in that information can be updated, inserted or deleted quickly |
Poor quality information may result in: |
• Non compliance with treatment recommendations of healthcare professionals that may incur additional costs of wasted healthcare resources and harm to consumers |
• Inappropriate / over/ under treatment any of which could lead to additional cost and/ or harm |
• Possible misinformation through lack of quality assurance |
Quality information should result in: |
• Improved understanding |
• Improved compliance |
• Reduced waste |
Criteria for a country wide "official" health information website: |
• Should provide: |
• Up to date information on treatment options and prevention for common illnesses |
• Links to useful and reputable websites irrespective of website owner |
• Guidelines for evaluating information quality |
• Contact for support groups |
• Should not: |
• Be all embracing and contain too much information |
• Contain jargon and unfamiliar language |
• Be biased towards a particular provider or funding agency |