The Internet, particularly pharmaceutical web sites, have become an important and preferred source of drug and health information. Two studies were conducted to determine how information on pharmaceutical web sites can be presented to maximize processing and recall. Study One focused on the relationship between the placement of side effect information and subsequent recall of that information. Study Two focused on web site content, specifically information about the drug and the medical condition that the drug is designed to treat. This latter study explored how recall is affected by the mode through which information is presented (audio versus text) and the specific way the mode of presentation is used (combined versus singular audio presentation; integrated text versus pop-up windows). The results of both studies indicate that placement and form of presentation exert a significant influence on subsequent recall, particularly when these influences are examined across age groups. Implications for the development of pharmaceutical web sites are provided.
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