ABSTRACT
The famous axiom “form follows function” can be traced back to the famed American architect Louis Sullivan. For the website team, “form follows function” means that the purpose of the website informs how the website is to be structured. Indeed, the premise of the Health Empowerment Web Strategy Index model rests on the notion that a primary function of a healthcare provider’s website is to foster patient engagement. The first set of structural issues center on user experience. The subjects under this heading divide into the following four subcategories: accessibility, confidentiality-privacy, target audience and usability. The second set of structural issues center on the management of web content. The subjects under this heading divide into the following four subcategories: content credibility, ecommerce, editorial policy, and transparency and honesty. The famous axiom “form follows function” is as relevant to website developers as it is to biologists or architects.
