Health Website Credibility

Health promotion brochure should be written at an appropriate grade level for the consumer to understand. According to Helmig (2006) The familiar brochures, tent-cards, checklists, posters, and newsletter, and mainstays of physicians’ offices and waiting rooms serve as important resources for patients, but they often do not speak to patients in a language they can understand ( p 82). The readability of this brochure according to SMOG is at a 10th grade level. Research shows that more than 20% of adults read below the fifth grade level. Examples in the brochure that would be difficult for the consumer to understand is under the heading “About your Diabetes.” This information is confusing and need more clarification to help the consumer understand and interpret the information that is given. According to Safeer & Keenan (2005), health literacy is basic reading that allows a person to function in the health care environment. The authors’ also stated elderly consumers are predominantly affected because of their reading and comprehension abilities are influenced by their vision and hearing status (p. 463).

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.

I will compare the information available from two major online medical resources to see what type of audience they are targeting and how the information is communicated. The topic that I will be chosen is diabetes. The websites that I will be getting my sources are from Medicinenet (http://www.medicinenet.com/diabetes_mellitus/article.htm) and the CDC centers for disease control and prevention (http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/home/index.html).

Use of consumer healthcare information technology through web-based applications, mobile devices, and patient portals allowed Surae Lucie to electronically view and download her mother’s healthcare information. This was especially helpful since English is a second language to her mother and the information could be viewed repeatedly over a period until her mother understood the physician’s orders of medications and compare that to what Surae Lucie’s mother was taking.

Caveat lector is a Latin phrase meaning, “let the reader beware.” Health information on the internet is growing at an alarming rate. However, some information on the internet is not accurate or current, and unfortunately, many web sites regarding healthcare offer misleading, incomplete, and incorrect information. Many consumers do not have the knowledge to judge and evaluate the quality of online information. This paper aims to discuss how the website WebMD presents information to readers. It will evaluate WebMD according to its source, where was the source obtained; type of funding, is it commercially funded or private; the validity and quality, how valid is the information and can it be verified; and privacy, is your personal information

Health information is important to every person caring for a person. If pertinent information is missed or not communicated it could be deadly. The Department of Health and Human Services developed a plan to help control this issue.

In the present, it is harder for doctors to leave patience uninformed with the help of Google or Web MD. Today internet has been an almost unlimited source of information at our fingertips. Sometimes people would get themselves paranoid by creating a self-diagnosis by using web MD. When a patient would go to hospitals, they ask more question and challenge doctors competence of what or why they might be diagnosed.

For individuals faced with a cancer diagnosis, information seeking plays a crucial role in their ability to cope with their diagnosis as well as treatment options. To make decisions, patients require information about their disease, treatment options that outline the benefits and risks, as well as alternative treatments and their prognosis (Rutten, Arora, Bakos, Aziz, & Rowland, 2005). Modern technology has provided patients with access to a plethora of information, particularly as it relates to Cancer, furthermore with the internet becoming a primary source of information it is of importance that patients seeking health information become proficient in assessing the credibility of websites (Schwarz & Ringel Morris, 2011). One instrument to aid in assessing the quality of treatment information in DISCERN. Through utilizing this tool, an evaluation of the Canadian Cancer Society Website cancer.ca will be presented to determine the quality of this websites content specifically as it relates to treatment information for cancer.

Coming from a background heavy in NICU and pediatric homehealth experience, I chose to create a hypothetical situation that related to a common problem that many children contract and spread. My demographic area has a large population of immigrants and lower income families, so education and effective communication is a must.

Determining the credibility of a website starts with tools that can be used to evaluate the site. The National Library of Medicine (NLM) offers information defining how to evaluate websites credibility. Key factors such as; “Who runs and pays for the website, what the website’s purpose is, Where did the information on the site come from and how is

Looking ahead into the coming century and seeing that life is becoming only more complex and busier, the program attempts to make its plans as easy as possible and to customize them to people's lives. To that end, it presents tools and calculators to help their clients keep their health on track, as well as personalized health sites and personal assessments to help people know where they stand in terms of their health (http://www.uhc.com/health_and_wellness.htm). United Health Care realizes that people spend much of their time on eh Internet and some

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

The Impact of Pseudoscience on Consumers Pseudoscience is known by many as false science. Many consumers are convinced by companies that sells these products provide instant cures that lead to a healthier lifestyle. These products are scientific theories that have little evidence to back up their scientific claims. The Internet, health food stores, magazines, and commercials are just a few ways that companies can target potential consumers to sell their products. Medical information searched by consumers via the Internet has become the largest source of information worldwide. Consumers search the Internet for weight loss strategies, treatments for autism, anti-aging creams, male enhancement, and prevention of cancer and heart

comes first and a diligent consumer would want to access only reliable diagnostic information which

This type of information may be found on websites such as Web MD http://webmd.com, Medline http://medlineplus.gov/, or Health Finder http://www.healthfinder.gov/. An individual can utilize the information found on the previous pages to help determine if they should seek further care from their physician. It is important to note that health information found on these pages is no substitute for a thorough visit and diagnosis from a licensed physician, as stated in a typical medical information page disclaimer: “Do not rely upon any of the information provided on this site for medical diagnosis or treatment. Please consult your primary health care provider about any personal health concerns.[4] People can also find information on personal fitness (diet and exercise programs), and mental health activities.