HealthRatings.org Rates
20 Health Information Sites
Research Conducted by:
Consumer Reports WebWatch and the Health Improvement Institute (HII)
Consumer Reports WebWatch
101 Truman Ave.
Yonkers, N.Y., USA 10703-1057
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Abstract
Following Consumer Reports WebWatch criteria for credibility, WebWatch employed professional testers to evaluate all 20 health information sites used in this study. HII used a different tool and employed raters from the health care community to create overall ratings. Together the two organizations rated the 20 most-trafficked sites according to Nielsen/NetRatings data across nine different attributes including identity, advertising and sponsorship disclosure, ease of use, privacy, coverage, design, accessibility and contents.
These ratings are illustrated on www.healthratings.org by Consumer Reports ratings symbols for each criteria. Testing for specific medical subject matter knowledge is beyond the scope of the study.
Results:
--Of the 20 sites rated, six were given the highest rating, "Excellent"; five received a "Very Good" rating; eight were given a rating of "Good;" and one site was rated "Fair."
--Two sites are non-profit, accepting no advertising.
--Sites rated "Eexcellent" included unbiased, peer-reviewed content written by health professionals.
--"Fair" sites often did not disclose that health content and surveys were sponsored by advertisers, had no policies to correct false, misleading or incorrect information, and seemed to be functioning as marketing sites for health products.
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