BACKGROUND: Transparency is an indicator of trustworthiness and quality of health information about eye diseases on the Internet. METHODS: 20 websites that contained information about eye diseases aimed at the general public were evaluated. A modified Afgis (Aktionsforum Gesundheitsinformationssystem/action forum health information system) project transparency checklist was used. RESULTS: On average, 6.15 +/- 1.68 criteria were fulfilled. All websites maintained separation between advertising and editorial content. Between 80 and 90% of the websites studied contained complete information about the provider, aims and target audience, and feedback from users. The criteria for privacy were met by 70% of websites, 40% met those for currency of content and data, 35% those for methods of quality assurance, 15% those for financing and sponsoring and 0% met the requirements for authors and sources of information. CONCLUSION: Visually impaired people benefit from transparency, because this facilitates accessibility to web-based health information. Hence, websites containing health information related to eye diseases should meet the demands of transparency. Copyright 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel.
BACKGROUND: Transparency is an indicator of trustworthiness and quality of health information about eye diseases on the Internet. METHODS: 20 websites that contained information about eye diseases aimed at the general public were evaluated. A modified Afgis (Aktionsforum Gesundheitsinformationssystem/action forum health information system) project transparency checklist was used. RESULTS: On average, 6.15 +/- 1.68 criteria were fulfilled. All websites maintained separation between advertising and editorial content. Between 80 and 90% of the websites studied contained complete information about the provider, aims and target audience, and feedback from users. The criteria for privacy were met by 70% of websites, 40% met those for currency of content and data, 35% those for methods of quality assurance, 15% those for financing and sponsoring and 0% met the requirements for authors and sources of information. CONCLUSION: Visually impaired people benefit from transparency, because this facilitates accessibility to web-based health information. Hence, websites containing health information related to eye diseases should meet the demands of transparency. Copyright 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel.