Planning,Design, Equipment,and Software

Abstract

Consumer Health Information [CHI]-the term can mean many things to many people and it can take many forms. Health information in layman's terms can be found in brochures, books, journals, videos, television programs, news reports and, of course, through the Internet. Current estimates differ widely as to the number of health-related sites on the Web. A November 1999 article in the British Medical Journalestimates that there are approximately 100,000 health-related sites in existence.¹ Health resources come in many forms and the technology and design of those sites can be just as varied. When viewed as an architectural structure, certain correlations can be drawn between the construction of a home and the building of a Web site. It can take a tremendous amount of effort and planning to build both. The following article describes the design process and technology behind the Arkansas Consumer Health Information Network's consumer health Web site, ARHealthLINK http://www.arhealthlink.org