A public health information portal reflects a very public statement that a government can make on its position on health for its citizens. In addition, the increasing availability and use of new mobile technologies and of Web 2.0 technologies are resulting in greater expectations of accessibility to health information by the public and by health practitioners. The design, purpose, and philosophy of a health information portal, therefore, are critical to addressing these issues and to providing equitable access to health tools and to understandable health information in the local context.

Innovative ideas, methods, and uses of information and mobile technologies by five major health information portals in developed countries were studied. The purpose of each portal, as well as the integration of the portal with its constituents and with the Web was also studied.

The results of this study open new innovative roads for health information portals in developing countries and provide exciti ng new paths in defining and addressing the constituents, in syndicating content as broadly as possible, and in integrating closely with the Web and with new mobile technologies. We need to learn from this and become more innovative with our portals. Are we ready?

In short, a health information portal on the Web, an eHealth portal, can no longer be viewed as a Web page or simply a Web site. It is a source for syndicating information and to interfacing to a variety of technologies