Objective To design a website for health education and to enhance the effect of patient health education. Methods Eighty cancer patients hospitalized in the department of thoracic surgery were divided chronologically into a control group to receive traditional health education and an intervention group to use a self-designed website supporting self-directed learning.Uncertainty in illness and awareness of disease knowledge between the two groups were compared, and patient′s evaluation of the website was also collected. Results The uncertainty in illness was significantly lower, whereas the awareness rate of expectoration and abdominal respiration was significantly higher in the intervention group compared with the control group （P＜0.05,P＜0.01）.Ninety-five percent of patients in the intervention group reported the website was user-friendly and would continue to use it after discharge. Conclusion The self-help health website is easy to use, which can effectively improve health education effect and reduce uncertainty in illness.