Evaluation of the quality of health information on the internet: An analysis of brazillian initiatives

Abstract

Health information is produced on the Internet without evaluating its quality. Incomplete, contradictory, incorrect, or incomprehensible information can be harmful to health. But quality information can bring benefits to both citizens and health managers. This chapter analyzes Brazilian initiatives to evaluate the quality of health information based on the three systematic reviews on the subject. We found that the Brazilian academic production in this field does not follow international trends. Two Brazilian institutional initiatives are in place, namely, the "Regional Medical Council of São Paulo" and the "Internet, Health, and Society Laboratory" (LaISS) of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation. LaISS made two evaluations that followed international literature and introduced innovative methods. We conclude that the pre-Internet communication culture seems to predominate among Brazilian health officials. Information and communication technologies are of secondary importance to public health managers and researchers.