The DISCERN Handbook Quality criteria for consumer health information User guide and training resource DISCERN has been developed in response to a need for consumers of written health information to have confidence in its quality, and to be adequately informed about treatment choices. The research that gave rise to these guidelines revealed that much of the material currently in use is incomplete, inaccurate and ill-conceived, and provides no mechanism for the discerning consumer to assess the standard by which its quality should be judged.  The DISCERN Handbook has therefore been designed as an instruction manual for those needing to make selective judgements and for those responsible for ensuring that new information meets the quality criteria. Patient choice demands good quality information, and application of the principles contained in this handbook should ensure that they get it. DISCERN arose from a national project to establish quality thresholds for information on treatment choices for NHS organizations, charities, the pharmaceutical industry and other health service suppliers. The research team, its developers and expert panel drew from the experience of all those groups in producing these new standards. The DISCERN project was conducted by the Division of Public Health and Primary Health Care, University of Oxford and funded by the British Library and the NHS Research and Development Programme. Copyright and photocopying  © Radcliffe Publishing Ltd.  It is illegal to prejudice the commercial rights of the publishers by making copies of this material. It may not be given, sold, lent or hired to any third party or reproduced in any form, by photocopying or any other means, without permission from the publisher.