Health Gateway Program  

At Tutu's House

“Exploring health information on the Internet"

How to Evaluate a Web Site

Anyone can publish something on the Web. Whether they are an expert or not. People should consider the source, the purpose and the credentials behind the information they are viewing. Here are some questions to consider when evaluating a Web site:

·         What is the sites source? Is the author, agency or organization clearly identified?

·         Can you contact the source (eg. email, address given?)

·         For articles and fact sheets, are the author’s credentials listed?

·         Is the purpose of the Web site clearly stated and is sponsorship acknowledged?

Without even viewing a Web site you can evaluate the kind of information you’ll find by looking at the extension of the online address. Addresses with a “.gov” (eg. http://www.cdc.gov/)  or “.edu” (http://www.uhm.hawaii.edu/) are sponsored by a government agency and an educational institution (eg. University), respectively, and are more likely to present information based on scientific peer review  standards, than a commercial, or ”.com” site (http://www.disney.com). An “.org” site (http://www.ama-assn.org/), or one sponsored by an organization, also may be useful and credible, if you know something about the group and where it stands on pertinent issues.

Health Web Site Evaluation Criteria Resources:

Code of Conduct (HONcode) (http://www.hon.ch/Conduct.html), created by the Health On the Net Foundation, is for providers of healthcare information on the Internet, has eight principles.

Health Information Quality Assessment Tool (IQ) (http://hitiweb.mitretek.org/iq/) developed by Health Information Technology Institute (HITI).

Six Senses Seal Of Approval  (http://www.sixsenses.com/FAQ.html), sponsored by the health and medicine arm of AGENCY.com, an “interactive communications and business solution firm,” is awarded to healthcare or medicine sites that score high enough when rated in six categories; content, aesthetics, interactivity, innovation, freshness, and character.

Discern Quality Criteria for Consumer Health Information (http://www.discern.org.uk/)

Quack or Quality? Combating bad medical information on the Net. Medicine on the Net, December 1998, Volume 4, Number 12. Available at Tutu’s House.