Health On the Net Foundation

Health On the Net Foundation (HON) is a non-profit organization that promotes and guides the deployment of useful and reliable online health information, and its appropriate and efficient use. The foundation is based in Geneva, Switzerland.

History

The Health On the Net Foundation was established in 1995. It was created to address concerns about the quality of health information available on the Internet. The foundation's primary goal is to help users identify reliable and trustworthy health information online.

HONcode

One of the foundation's most significant contributions is the HONcode, a code of conduct for medical and health websites. The HONcode is designed to improve the quality of information and to help users understand the source and purpose of the data they are accessing. Websites that comply with the HONcode principles can display the HONcode certification seal.

HONcode Principles

The HONcode is based on eight principles:

1. Authority: Information should be provided by qualified professionals.
2. Complementarity: Information should support, not replace, the doctor-patient relationship.
3. Confidentiality: Respect the privacy and confidentiality of personal data submitted to the site by the visitor.
4. Attribution: Cite the source(s) of published information and date medical and health pages.
5. Justifiability: Site must back up claims relating to benefits and performance.
6. Transparency: Accessible presentation, accurate email contact.
7. Financial disclosure: Identify funding sources.
8. Advertising policy: Clearly distinguish advertising from editorial content.

Services

The Health On the Net Foundation offers several services to both users and website owners:

• **HONcode Certification**: Websites can apply for HONcode certification to demonstrate their commitment to providing reliable health information.
• **HONsearch**: A search engine that filters results to show only HONcode-certified websites.
• **HONtools**: Tools and resources for webmasters to help them comply with HONcode principles.

Impact

The HONcode certification is widely recognized and respected in the medical community. It helps users find trustworthy health information and encourages website owners to maintain high standards of quality and transparency.

See also

• Medical ethics
• Health information on the Internet
• Patient safety
• E-health