BACKGROUND:     Information prescriptions (IPs) are part of a Department of Health (DH) initiative to improve @entity1 care. IPs aim to meet health information needs by providing personalised, high quality @entity1 information about conditions and treatment. OBJECTIVES:     This paper identifies current online @entity7173 provision and evaluates a sample of @entity7173 websites against the original DH aims of @entity7173 provision; British Medical Association usability criteria; and information seeking vignettes. METHODS:     Five UK and one international @entity7173 website were randomly selected as a sample. Two checklists designed to appraise the websites were used to review each @entity7173 provider. Two @entity1 information seeking vignettes were developed to enable the websites to be assessed from a @entity1 -centred perspective. RESULTS:     Information prescriptions currently vary in content, accessibility and quality. National @entity7173 websites score more highly than local @entity7173 websites, which are often weak on content for specific conditions and poorly designed but strong on signposting to local services. CONCLUSIONS:     Guidelines for @entity7173 provision need to be improved to ensure higher quality, more easily accessible information is available. A synthesis of expertise included in national and local websites would improve usability for @entity1 . @entity7173 websites should conform to standards of web design and accessibility.

'Quality signposting': the role of online information prescription in providing XXXX information.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients', 'patient'] @entity7173 :: ('MESH:D007184', 'Disease') :: ['IP']
@entity1 :: (9606,Species) :: ['patient']
