Various researchers have assessed the quality of consumer health information on the Internet, with most of their studies reaching negative conclusions. But the researchers themselves often differ in how they measure "quality.

There is a certain risk of encountering imperfect health information on the Web, but even medical experts often disagree on the question of what constitutes good health information in the first place.

Thus, despite frequent research and media reports that health information on the Web does not comply with expert guidelines, there is little reason to discourage consumers from obtaining health information from the Web.

Researchers analyzed 79 different studies that evaluated nearly 6,000 health Web sites and 1,330 Web pages. Seven out of every 10 studies concluded that quality is a problem on the Internet.

The most frequently used criteria to determine Web site and Web page quality were:

• Accuracy,
• Completeness,
• Readability,
• Design,
• Disclosures and
• References provided.

In evaluating accuracy, however, some study authors reportedly compared the Internet information to criteria they established beforehand, while others compared the Internet information to previously published research. Many studies also did not clarify whether the author actually searched the literature or used his or her own knowledge to determine a document's accuracy.

Obviously, the closer you look, the more flaws you find in health information on the Web, but the same is true for health information in other media. Consumers should search the Internet for health information but they need to keep a critical eye on quality.

In a related editorial, researchers from the Mayo Clinic assert that the new study highlights the formlessness of the Internet.

The breadth and sophistication of content available on the Web have increased by several magnitudes since the mid-1990s, but absolute standards for health information have yet to be established.

JAMA May 22, 2002;287:2691-2700, 2713