HIE Wire   back to index

URAC releases draft health website standards for public comment

From URAC

Accreditation program will be the first of its kind

URAC is releasing today a draft set of Health website standards for public review and comment. The quality-based standards will form the foundation of the first-ever third-party accreditation program for health websites. Once implemented, this accreditation program will provide consumers and other stakeholders with a benchmark to evaluate the quality of health websites.

"The release of these draft standards is a major step in the quest for trust and accountability for health websites", stated Garry Carneal, president and CEO of URAC. "Consumers, providers, and regulators will soon have a tool to identify web sites that adhere to quality principles, and that deserve their trust."

Research demonstrates that obtaining health information is one of the most common reasons people use the Internet. Moreover, many healthcare organizations have made websites an important part of their relationship with consumers and other customers. According to Carneal, "As the Internet becomes a more integral feature of the healthcare landscape, it will be increasingly important to ensure that quality standards are met."

A committee of experts, representing a diverse array of perspectives, has developed the draft standards (a committee list is attached to this release). "As with the development of any URAC accreditation program, our goal is to include input from a variety of stakeholders", noted Guy D'Andrea, URAC Senior Vice-President.

The URAC health website accreditation program will be the first in the nation to audit sites against quality standards. As part of the accreditation process, URAC will conduct a thorough audit of each website, including a 'desktop' review of the host company's policy and procedures.
In addition, URAC will perform an 'onsite review' of website operations to confirm compliance. Accredited websites will be expected to maintain compliance with the standards throughout the accreditation cycle, which will checked through random reviews of accredited sites.

Topics addressed by the draft health website standards, which have been under development over the past 12 months, include disclosure; content; linking; privacy and security; accountability; policies and procedures; and quality oversight. "Our intent is to develop standards which are realistic and achievable, and which provide a meaningful test of a health website's commitment to quality practices", said D'Andrea. "We welcome feedback on the how well the draft standards meet this goal."

After the public comment period ends, URAC will revise the standards and conduct beta-testing before the final standards are approved by URAC's Board of Directors. URAC expects to complete the new standards during the summer.

How to submit comments

Interested parties may obtain a copy of the draft standards, and instructions for submitting comments, by visiting URAC's website at www.urac.org

Comments are due no later than Monday, April 23 2001.