A Message from the Senior Executive Board Member

It seems we’re in the midst of what is colloquially called the dog days of summer, that period from late July until after Labor Day when the leaves begin to turn a duskier green and hints of color appear in some trees, when the heat and humidity seem unbearable, when air conditioning bills climb to ever higher vistas, when the students begin to come back to academia. It is at such times that thoughts turn to the fall, cooler temperatures, sparkling blue skies, apples, and a return to routine. The “dog days of summer" indicate an end to the languid pace of June and July. Instead, that pace is replaced with the hectic pace of fall.

Regardless of location, individual and institutional members of ICON experience that change as well. It seems like a long time ago that we met. Much has happened since May. I encourage you to attend the September 8th meeting to find out what your organization is up to. One exciting item that will be reported on is the ongoing progress of our consumer health site, Health HQ.

Rarely does a week go by without some news item on health-related information on the web. I believe the Health HQ site will prove to be a quality site and a prototype for much grander things. I also believe the large volume of health information on the Internet has the potential to improve health, but the barrier to that is defining and determining which resources are accurate and appropriate. Criteria for evaluating health related web sites is difficult to establish in a static sense. Attempts have been made.

In a recent study * twelve broad criteria groups were identified as being valuable to evaluate health related web sites. They are as follows:

  1. Content of site
  2. Design and aesthetics
  3. Disclosure of authors, sponsors, developers
  4. Currency of information
  5. Authority of source
  6. Ease of use
  7. Accessibility and availability
  8. Links
  9. Attribution and documentation
  10. Intended audience
  11. Contact addresses or feedback mechanism
  12. User support

The ICON Consumer Health Steering Committee is on track to develop a site that will meet these criteria. Our web site promises to be a very useful tool for users in Nebraska, Iowa and beyond. So, again, mark your calendar for September 8, and come to learn about our efforts to date, to offer your input, and to discuss plans for the future. I look forward to seeing you there.

--Jim Bothmer, Senior Executive Board Member

* Kim, Paul, Eng, Thomas R., et al. Published criteria for evaluating health related web sites. British Medical Journal 318 (March 6, 1999).

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