Evaluation by consumers of quality care information on the internet

The Health Information Technology Institute (HITI) criteria were used to evaluate ten Internet resources for consumers on quality care. All of the Internet resources met the essential HITI criteria. Consumers (n = 33) then evaluated each document for ease of use, knowledge gained, and value of the information to them. Most of the consumers acquired new knowledge on quality care and information to assess the quality of their own health care from reading AHRQ's Your Guide to Choosing Quality Health Care, even though it was not as easy to use as the other documents. Two resources that should be available to all patients from a consumer point of view were AHRQ's Be Informed: Questions to Ask Your Doctor Before You Have Surgery and Prescription Medicines and You.

Duke Scholars

Author Marilyn Haag Oermann School of Nursing