Quality of health information on the internet (QHII)
Health Website Ratings (HWR) project: Rating worksheets
Raters use structured worksheets to describe and to rate health websites. The Institute developed worksheets for the Health Website Ratings (HWR) project through extensive research of previous efforts to assess the quality of heath websites and continues to expand them based on needs and to refine them based on raters' feedback. The health website rating instrument (HWRI) was developed in collaboration with Consumer Reports WebWatch (CRW) by drawing on two principal sources:
Early on it became apparent that for ratings purposes health websites are heterogenous and that while some criteria likely apply to all types of health websites the Institute would have to develop criteria specific to each type of health website. Consequently, the Institute:
The Institute constructed initial rating worksheets based on CRW website credibility criteria, criteria selected from its inventory of health website evaluation criteria, and those developed by the Institute. The Institute piloted the initial HWRI and revised ratings worksheets, instructions, etc based on results to create the version of the HWRI used to rate the first wave of health websites. For the second wave, the Institute expanded the HWRI to encompass criteria for "diet self-help plans and programs" and refined it based on the feedback of raters who rated the first wave of websites. The Institute continues to develop specific criteria to rate different types of health websites and to use raters' feedback to produce subsequent versions of the HWRI.
To view history of instrument development
To view the current version of the HWRI
To view health website:
To view/download presentations, reports, etc
To participate in QHII/HWR project
To provide feedback/suggestions
To learn more about HWR project