ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews efforts for quality control of health information online; describes quality source markers such as the HONCode and DISCERN; and lists online information sources that incorporate these and other quality criteria. Good citations only support the author's claims, but also point the reader to additional information. Lay individuals need support in evaluating the authority, objectivity, and trustworthiness of online health information. Consumer Health Informatics as a field can address this problem. Inaccurate health information proliferates on the Web, propagated through social media and emerging in online advertisements that are tailored to previous searches. Multiple stakeholders in the healthcare system have served as gatekeepers to health information and now see their position challenged by the widespread use of information technologies, particularly the internet and social media. Health-related websites certified by the Foundation are accessible through a specialized search engine available on the HON site.
