Commission sets quality standards for health sites
information on the Internet, the European Commission has adopted a
communication setting out a number of criteria for health-related
websites. The quality criteria include transparency and honesty,
authority, privacy and data protection, updating of information,
accountability and accessibility.
The European Commission has adopted a communication setting out a number of criteria for health-related websites.
The six quality criteria include transparency and honesty, authority, privacy and data protection, updating of information, accountability and accessibility.
In a statement the Commission noted that European citizens are large-scale consumers of health-related information on the Internet. The communication recommended that the criteria are tailored according to particular audiences and described the methods of implementing quality criteria including codes of conduct, self applied codes or quality labels, user guidance tools, filtering tools, and third party quality and accreditation systems.
Erkki Liikanen, EU Commissioner for Enterprise and the Information society, said: "Europeans access more than 100,000 health websites, making such websites among the most frequently used. It is therefore imperative that such websites and the services they provide meet high quality standards. I trust that our recommended standards will be welcomed and embraced by both the industry and Internet users in Europe."
David Byrne, EU Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection, added: "The Internet can be a great ally for public health. It can help empower patients, it can help citizens make healthy lifestyle choices. The key is to find ways for the valid, the relevant, the helpful on-line information to be distinguished from the unreliable, or downright bogus. Today's initiative is a step towards achieving that."
The communication was drafted through a workshop with 60 representatives from government, industry and NGOs, as well as via an on-line public consultation.
According to the Commission, the objective is to guide Member States in possible implementation of quality assurance measures for health-related sites. The criteria address issues of both supplier and user education and apply to both information sites as well as those that allow for transactions between information providers and users.
Member States and national and regional health authorities are encouraged to implement the criteria, develop information campaigns, and exchange information on how quality standards are implemented. The Commission will monitor implementation of the criteria.
