Abstract
An examination of the top 10 consumer health information (CHI) websites in Canada revealed that while all of these CHI websites provide extensive and well-organized content, hypertext links, static images, and a site search engine, their adoption of Web 2.0 technologies is generally limited to well-known technologies, such as Facebook and Twitter, or is nonexistent. Furthermore, CHI websites that fail to integrate links to Web 2.0 technologies into the main navigation bar on the homepage make the links less visible to site visitors.
Highlights
Many reputable consumer health information (CHI) websites were developed by healthcare institutions, diseasespecific not-for-profit organizations, professional associations, government health ministries, and telecommunication and broadcasting companies in the late 1990s and early 2000s
Ca) is the national not-for-profit organization of communitybased volunteers in Canada dedicated to eradicating cancer and improving the quality of life of people living with cancer
The CCS website is primarily organized by geographic region and provides extensive textual content centred in each webpage, with the sides of each webpage acting as navigation tools
Summary
Many reputable consumer health information (CHI) websites were developed by healthcare institutions, diseasespecific not-for-profit organizations, professional associations, government health ministries, and telecommunication and broadcasting companies in the late 1990s and early 2000s These sites are authored by clinicians and medical writers who control the publication of content. The content is overwhelmingly static text with a limited selection of images of organs and organ systems; a few decision making tools, such as body mass indicator calculators; and optionally, one or more forms of computer-mediated communication, such as discussion forums While these sites do not exemplify the latest trends in Web technology, they do meet the fundamental needs of those seeking health information: the need for factual biomedical information about diseases and their causes, symptomology, diagnostic tests, treatment options, and prognosis
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