Health information for young people where and when they most want it: a case study of www.teenagehealthfreak.org.
The Internet is an exciting resource for providing immediately available, evidence-based, health information for young people in an age-appropriate form on a 24 hours/day, 7 days/week basis. www.teenagehealthfreak.org is a United Kingdom-based Web site designed to take advantage of this. The content of the site, which is the leading teenage health Web site on a Google search, contains both the diary of a hypochondriac 15-year-old boy and a virtual doctor's surgery. It also allows for young people to e-mail health-related questions and receive relevant answers from a health expert. Analysis of the content of these e-mails indicates the unmet health needs and concerns of young people. Future developments of the site include linking the site www.youthhealthtalk.org, a Web site that contains videotaped interviews with young people who have a variety other health concerns.
McPherson
Ann
A
Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Oxford, Old Road, Headington OX3 LF, UK. ann.mcpherson@dphpc.ox.ac.uk
Macfarlane
Aidan
A
D000293:Adolescent; D016497:Adolescent Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008389:Marketing of Health Services; D019982:Organizational Case Studies; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D006113:United Kingdom