QHII types of health website

Quality of health information on the internet (QHII)
Health Website Ratings (HWR) project: Types of health websites

For purposes of developing rating criteria, the Institute devised a taxonomy of health websites by dividing websites into the following discrete types (with each type having the central purpose indicted):

Health communication website (to communicate health information to consumers, health professionals, or other specified groups of individuals).
Behavior modification website (to support individuals who want to control or to modify their behavior, eg, stop smoking, loose weight, exercise regularly)
On-line product website (to communicate health-oriented product information and/or to sell such products to consumers and/or health professionals)
Health care organization website (to communicate information about the organization, institution, or facility)
Public health website (to inform consumers and/or health professionals about specific public health programs or activities)
Research website (to recruit people for clinical/health research studies).

To start, the Institute and ConsumerReportsWebwatch chose to focus on "health information websites" (that communicate descriptions and data to inform decisions regarding a person's or population's health or health care). Other types of health websites will be rated as the project proceeds and resources permit.