Addressing health disparities: African American consumer information resources on the web

The Web continues to rapidly evolve as a medium of information exchange. One major area where the Web is now playing a definitive role is in increasing consumer accessibility to health information for personal health and disease-related questions. The comprehensiveness of health information on the Web has the potential to empower consumers when making critical health-related decisions. Conversely, the myriad of information resources presents an array of challenges when seeking specific, credible, and timely health information. As the United States health care system continues to change, community concerns about the quantity, quality, and broad nature of information has become critical. In particular, the Web can play a vital role in health awareness and promotion by disseminating health information for traditionally underrepresented groups, particularly African Americans. Increased accessibility for this group has not always been the focus of attention; however, the growth of the Web coupled with heightened awareness of public health initiatives brings to the forefront numerous opportunities to provide tools that promote essential health information literacy.