Consumer/Patient Access to Quality Internet Health Information

Project Description Narrative:

The research team will enlist third-year medical students enrolled in the MCW Office of Student Affairs/Diversity Apprenticeship in Medicine (AIM) program to identify quality health information on the internet in order to create a website focused on consumer access to health information accessible from MCW’s website. Hands-on training will be provided to students to identify and access quality information using the site. Emphasis will be placed on identifying and providing links to reliable sources of health information focused on the 11 health priorities identified in the Healthiest Wisconsin 2010 report. Students will promote access to the website to staff and patients at the clinics where they gain their clinical experiences.

The overarching goals of this project are to: 1. educate the public/ health care consumers on how to find and identify quality authoritative healthcare information using the internet; 2. assist the public in making better-informed healthcare decisions by increasing their access to and skills in searching for electronic health-related information; and 3. augment the knowledge of students in identifying and using quality consumer healthcare information on the internet.