A very interesting study by Sliced Bread Design which looks into the differences between how consumers and health experts evaluate the credibility of health sites. The study showed that online consumers and experts diverge greatly in their credibility assessment criteria. Among other conclusions, the study found that "health experts assigned more credibility to health sites that provided information from reputable sources and cited the names and credentials of authors for each article published". The visual appeal of a site's design was far less important to experts than it was to consumers when assessing health site credibility. The top criteria for health experts were:

Based on the study results, the report recommends guidelines for designing credible health sites.

Read abstract and/or download PDF report here.