Conceptual framework for a new tool for evaluating the quality of diabetes consumer-information Web sites.
BACKGROUND
Most existing tools for measuring the quality of Internet health information focus almost exclusively on structural criteria or other proxies for quality of information, rather than evaluating information accuracy and comprehensiveness.


OBJECTIVE
This research sought to build a conceptual framework that could lay the groundwork for a robust performance-measurement system for evaluating the quality of Internet health information.


METHODS
Application of the quality-of-care measurement paradigm to developing a conceptual framework for defining and evaluating the quality of diabetes consumer-information Web sites.


RESULTS
Performance measures related to accuracy and comprehensiveness of information can be added to structural criteria to provide a more-robust approach to Web site evaluation.


CONCLUSIONS
The development and implementation of a reliable and valid method for evaluating the quality of Internet health sites could provide lay people with a tool to identify useful content more easily and distinguish between beneficial and misleading information.
Seidman
Joshua J
JJ
Center for Information Therapy, Healthwise, Inc, 600 New Hampshire Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20037, USA. jseidman@healthwise.org
Steinwachs
Donald
D
Rubin
Haya R
HR
D003920:Diabetes Mellitus; D017408:Guidelines as Topic / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D007255:Information Services / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends*; D020407:Internet / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends*; D017146:Models, Organizational; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D015397:Program Evaluation / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends*; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000639:trends*; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends*