URAC Releases Health Web Site Accreditation Standards

Health care accreditation organization URAC released the standards for its new health Web site accreditation program on Monday, as expected. The standards, which draw upon the work of organizations such as Hi-Ethics and the Internet Healthcare Coalition, are meant to embody ethical principles of conduct for consumer-oriented Web sites, as well as ensuring accountability and quality of site content, according to URAC. The 15-page standards manual includes 53 specific standards and in-depth explanations of requirements for accreditation. The standards address issues such as the editorial process for health content; disclosure of financial relationships; linking to other Web sites; privacy and security; and consumer complaint policies. The complete standards are available at www.urac.org/websiteaccreditation.htm (URAC release, 7/30).