URAC and Consumer WebWatch (CWW), a project of Consumers Union, released a report that finds problems with access to credible health information on the Internet and makes expert recommendations for improving access to health information for consumers. The project's review of information finds that: 1) consumers' ability to locate and evaluate health information online is hindered by access barriers for older, less well off, disabled, and non-English speaking Americans; 2) a difficulty in distinguishing credible health information from that which is not trustworthy; 3) Web sites contain inaccurate, outdated or incomplete information; and 4) consumers lack of knowledge on how search engines retrieve results or the impact of paid placements on listings of health Web sites.
"Searches for health information are one of the most common reasons consumers use the Internet," said Garry Carneal, URAC president and CEO. "One of our greatest challenges is helping consumers find the information they want that is also accurate, reliable and presented in an accessible format."
posted by Marcus Zillman |
4:05 AM
