Creating Supermarkets on the Web

Search HHS.gov for any disease and prepare to be astounded. You will find: 556,000 results on Diabetes; 206,000 results on Breast Cancer; 474,000 results on Alcoholism; and 302,000 results on Dieting. What are the chances you’ll find the specific information you need in even, let’s say, the first ten sites you visit?

There’s a reason people shop in supermarkets. They get almost everything they need in one stop. Often, plus a few things they didn’t need. Supermarkets are fast, efficient, and effective. By comparison, our Web is like a street fair.

But we’re changing. We’re starting to build content supermarkets on the Web. We call them topic-based consumer sites. They bring the best of our related content together in one place. We’re even working with other Departments to build cross-federal Web supermarkets.

StopBullying.gov provides information from various federal agencies on what bullying is, what cyberbullying is, who is at risk, and how people can prevent, and respond to bullying. Content for this website is developed by an interagency effort led by the Department of Education and HHS.

FoodSafety.gov is the gateway to federal food safety information. The site delivers food safety updates, including recall information. It also provides safe food handling information. Federal agencies with a role in this initiative include the Department of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Flu.gov is the central source for information on seasonal flu, emerging flu viruses, and pandemic flu preparation. Launched in 2005, it was the first ever cross-federal site. It’s unusual in that while its primary purpose is to provide consumer information, it’s also central to planning for potential flu pandemics, providing guidance, tools and information for health care providers, state and local governments, schools and businesses, as well as individuals. Primary information providers are HHS and the Departments of Education, Commerce, Agriculture, and the Interior.