Developing a public health Web site: the Los Angeles County experience.

The use of the Internet in public health practice is becoming increasingly widespread. The Internet is an important tool for supporting the mission and core functions of local health departments. However, most local health departments have limited resources and technical capacity to develop, deploy, and encourage use of large and complex Web sites. In Los Angeles County, the local health department was able to build and expand public health information systems on the Internet with a limited investment of financial and technical resources. The development process, key functions, and key factors in the success of this effort are described.