Directory of Internet documents for consumers on quality of care.

Abstract

Healthcare professionals have an important role in helping patients and families understand the concept of healthcare quality and gain access to available information on quality care. Information about quality of healthcare is available from many reputable sources on the Internet. A resource directory that leads consumers to these sites would be a useful tool for patient education. This article describes (a) the process of retrieving and evaluating Web site documents on quality care, using criteria developed by the Health Information Technology Institute, and (b) the method of organizing them into a logical structure using Mind Map software. The 32 documents that make up the directory are included in a table under subheadings developed with concept mapping.