Benefits Of Patients Being Able For Research Their Own Illnesses On The Web

Mass media is one of the main approaches used in health promotion and its lack of success may be due to its oversimplification or segmented view of health and well-being.

Health in the Media: Using the Models of Health to Assess Media Articles about Health Topics

The growth of health care activities since then has truly encouraged patients to reach for information outside the confines of patient and physician interaction. Revolutionary new technology such as cell phones and computers, as well as the development of the Internet and social media sites, has served as where a vast majority of the public finds current knowledge for their problems.

Communication has been permanently changed by social media. A wide conceptual definition of social media, as cited in Ressler & Glazer (2010), is “The online and mobile accessible services that enable individuals to connect, collaborate, and share with others in real time.” Social media has an obvious influence on informal communication style and represents both possibility and liability for healthcare institutions. As cited in Bernhardt, Alber, & Gold (2014), “Social media provide healthcare professionals with tools to share information, to debate health care policy and practice issues, to promote health behaviors, to engage with the public, and to educate and interact with patients, caregivers, students, and colleagues.” It also presents challenges, including risks to information accuracy, organizational reputation, and individual privacy. Social media can be a very helpful in communicating among nurses and other healthcare providers while creating professional connections, and sharing experiences, but guidelines for appropriate use by healthcare providers are essential. Whether or not certain healthcare organization decides to use social media as a communications tool - social media policy still need to be implemented. Policies help establish an organization 's rules and expectations around social media.

Moreover, social media can be very beneficial to patients suffering from chronic conditions as well as their family and friends (Norton & Strauss, 2013). For rare diseases local community support groups may not be available. Social media steps in to fill this void by offering users a variety of different online support groups, blogs, newsletters, and networks. Individuals can use such resources to reach out to others with similar issues, find much needed support during difficult times, and become aware of treatments and medications that worked for others with their same illness that may prompt them to contact their doctor about other possibilities in treatment options. When used properly, smartphones and social media can be very beneficial to healthcare providers and patients.

Education of patients and families regarding the reliability of internet information is prudent. Given the enormous amount of information available via the World Wide Web, not all of which, as you illustrate, is reliable, it is of great importance that patients and families comprehend the unreliability of some of the information they may acquire. Patients who are unable to gain access to health care secondary to a lack of funds, insurance, or availability of their provider, may be inclined to review their symptoms utilizing a search engine. Moreover, patients who were incapable of accessing healthcare due to reasons other than a lack of insurance are more likely to utilize the internet to obtain health related

Since consumers are becoming more involved with their healthcare decisions, organizations and providers must adapt to consumer requisites and utilize independent resources to ensure the viability of their businesses. In 2008, a study reported that 81% of internet users and 66% of adults utilized online health information as a source for health related issues (Ha & Yun, 2011). Some examples of online health information resources comprised of search engines, organizational websites, and governmental agencies that participate in health related issues (Ha & Yun, 2011). By accessing health related information, consumers empower themselves with knowledge to assist in healthcare decisions and wellness management (Ha & Yun, 2011). As a result of consumers becoming better educated about healthcare, administrators must explore internet resources in order to maintain quality and services that is expected by consumers, and maintain the reputation of the organization.

Social media has taken over the way that we interact with one another. It is leading the way in which we communicate with family, friends, coworkers and strangers. It is also the way we keep up with our favorite celebrities and gossip. Social media and the use of smartphones are becoming more prevalent in business and the healthcare field as well. According to Pew Research Center, “62% of smartphone owners have used their phone in the past year to look up information about a health condition” (April, 2015). Technology, just like all things come with flaws

Your experiences with using online resources to look up health or medical issues. Do you know of any situation where someone has found information on the Internet that has not matched the advice given by their doctor? What do you think of the use of the Internet by non-medical professionals to seek advice and information about illnesses and other health issues? How much do you think the medical and health professionals where you are need to, and have, kept pace with developments on the Internet?

Chapter Seventeen’s topic on the consumer’s quest for health information via the Internet, posed a “challenge for consumers and healthcare professionals alike” (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2015, p. 288) to ensure that the sites offer “reliable and credible sources of information” (Hall, 2009, p. 607). Nurses’ access to reliable and valid information is a must not only as clinicians but also as patient educators (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2015). Thus, “nurses are challenged to find and use reliable, credible information to support clinical decision-making and to meet expectations for evidence-based nursing practice” (Miller, Jones, Graves, & Sievert, (2010, Abstract, para. 1) both for themselves and for their patients.

Wakefield, Melanie A., Barbara Loken, and Robert C. Hornik. "Use of Mass Media Campaigns to Change Health Behaviour." The Lancet 376.9748 (2010): 1261-271.

We live in a culture that is constantly inundated with streams of information through a variety of social mediums. Patients have unlimited access to an extensive variety of resources regarding medical care through online blogs, websites and social media. In 2009, 45.5% of adults utilized online resources to gain more information regarding their health (Women’s Health USA, 2012). Considering that statistic is antiquated, one would suspect the percentage to have grown significantly over the years with the increase in access to online resources. It is imperative future advanced practice nurses have the ability to guide patients in evaluating what they read online. Can these sources provide reliable and appropriate medical advice?

You are so right. While social media is a good way of marketing a policy, the credibility of the source could be a problem. So as health care providers we should be aware of which sites are considered credible and which ones are not. Take for example a website, it is deemed credible if it is from a governmental or educational origin. The World Wide Web contains many different sites and finding a credible one can be challenging, not to mention time consuming. According to Roberts (2010), there are 5 crucial things that needs to be addressed when evaluating a website: credibility, currency, content, construction, and clarity. When verifying the credibility of a website one has to make sure it contains the author/authors name, publication date

Health and medicine are important for a society to run smoothly. The internet can be very dangerous. First of all, one does not know who is putting this information on the internet and many illnesses have similar symptoms but need different treatments. It is not always easy to decide what is reliable. 80% of internet users go online to find health related information. Many people rely and trust the internet which makes them sicker. When one is unhealthy, it leads to them not being able to perform their role in society and become exempt from normal obligations. Doctors play a vital role in keeping people healthy and productive in our society. People tend to believe what they read on the internet. But as we have learned

We, as 21st century individuals, live in a world where information is at our fingertips. This is one of the many reasons why the internet has quickly become known as a place where individuals can get any questions answered within seconds. Many patients are even turning to the internet to get their health questions answers! Unfortunately, not all medical websites are created equally. This paper will compare and contrast the credibility, accuracy and usability of three medical websites: PubMed, WebMD and Patient.