Evaluation of heart failure websites for patient education

Eight of 10 people use the Internet to find health information. Considering the prevalence of heart failure (HF), there are many websites dedicated to patient education, disease management, and symptom prevention of HF. However, some of these websites may not offer accurate and up-to-date information. The purpose of this project was to evaluate websites for use by patients with HF by examining their credibility using Health on the Net standards, content, and readability. Based on the evaluations, 5 websites were identified for use in patient education. All of the websites included essential content on HF, had an average reading level between the eighth and ninth grades, were easily navigated, and offered another supplement to reading such as an audio version. These 5 websites could be recommended by advanced practice nurses and other nurses in the emergency department to patients who want to learn more about HF.