<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>The Internet has become one of the main means of communication used by people who search for health-related information. The quality of online health-related information affects the users’ knowledge, their attitude, and their risk or health behaviour in complex ways and influences a substantial number of users in their decisions regarding diagnostic and treatment procedures.</p><p>The aim of this review is to explore the benefits and risks associated with using the Internet as a source of health-related information; the relationship between the quality of the health-related information available on the Internet and the potential risks; the multiple conceptual components of the quality of health-related information; the evaluation criteria for quality health-related information; and the main approaches and initiatives that have been implemented worldwide to help improve users’ access to high-quality health-related information.</p></abstract>

The Internet has become one of the main means of communication used by people who search for health-related information. The quality of online health-related information affects the users’ knowledge, their attitude, and their risk or health behaviour in complex ways and influences a substantial number of users in their decisions regarding diagnostic and treatment procedures.The aim of this review is to explore the benefits and risks associated with using the Internet as a source of health-related information; the relationship between the quality of the health-related information available on the Internet and the potential risks; the multiple conceptual components of the quality of health-related information; the evaluation criteria for quality health-related information; and the main approaches and initiatives that have been implemented worldwide to help improve users’ access to high-quality health-related information.

The Quality of Online Health-Related Information – an Emergent Consumer Health Issue

University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Tirgu Mures,

Acta Marisiensis - Seria Medica

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

The Internet has become one of the main means of communication used by people who search for health-related information. The quality of online health-related...

The Quality of Online Health-Related Information – an Emergent Consumer Health Issue

Published Online: Dec 30, 2016

Page range: 408 - 421

Received: Oct 07, 2016

Accepted: Oct 12, 2016

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/amma-2016-0048

Keywords
consumer health, health-related information, quality assessment criteria, e-health codes of conduct, automatic assessment of health-related information

© 2016 Nădăşan Valentin, published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

The Quality of Online Health-Related Information – an Emergent Consumer Health Issue

Published Online: Dec 30, 2016

Page range: 408 - 421

Received: Oct 07, 2016

Accepted: Oct 12, 2016

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/amma-2016-0048

Keywordsconsumer health, health-related information, quality assessment criteria, e-health codes of conduct, automatic assessment of health-related information

© 2016 Nădăşan Valentin, published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
consumer health, health-related information, quality assessment criteria, e-health codes of conduct, automatic assessment of health-related information