Heart Disease And Stroke: Website Analysis

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).

http://www.hhs.gov/ is the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) website, and is a government website in which all the content

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

The mission of the Department of Health and Human Services is to help provide the structure that Americans need to live prosperous and healthy lives. This service gives families, children, and seniors a way to receive quality health care. This achieved by helping parents find affordable childcare and legitimate jobs. This organization is dedicated to keeping American’s food safe, preventing infectious diseases, and by pushing the boundaries of how to treat and diagnose disease (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services , 2013).

The objective of this study is to identify and evaluate a health-related website within the domain indicated as heart.org or heart.gov. This study will provide empirical evidence to support the website as a credible source for inclusion in a scholarly assignment.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is the U.S. government’s principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services, especially for those who are least able to help themselves. HHS is responsible for almost a quarter of all federal outlays and administers more grant dollars than all other federal agencies combined. The mission of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is to enhance the health and well-being of Americans by providing for effective health and human services and by fostering sound, sustained advances in the sciences underlying medicine, public health, and social services. In addition, HHS is also responsible to provide better services to people by adapting to new technologies to keep pace with the advancement in technology. As we compare the health and human services from last ten years to present, it is very clear to analyze how health and human systems have improved over the years. The Department manages programs that cover a vast spectrum of activities that impact health, public health, and human services outcomes throughout the life span.

The motto of the federal agency, Department of Health and Human Services, elaborates its core responsibilities in a nutshell. The motto reads, “Improving the health, safety and well-being of America.” Fundamentally, the agency is mandated with the provision of essential health services that guarantees all Americans better healthcare that is not only accessible but also meet all the necessary standards (McGuire, 2011). The agency was established on April 11, 1953 under the jurisdiction of the federal government of the United States. Its headquarters is located in the Hubert H. Humphrey Building, located at 200 Independence Avenue, S.W.

Advancements in technology have led people to be affected by an overflow of information. Many websites contain information that is unmonitored making it difficult for nurses to obtain accurate, credible information. It is essential for people such as health care professionals to know how to determine the credibility of a website in order to ensure that the information being provided to the patients is accurate. Nurses guide their practice by the use of evidence based practice and provide their patients with information on a routine basis. Thus, it is important for them to ensure a website is credible before providing the patient with any type of information. By the use of the criteria authority, information, objectivity, ease of navigation, and privacy/security policies, nurses can more effectively and efficiently determine website credibility. The criteria was applied to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) website in order to determine the credibility of this website with satisfactory results.

Martin Weiser, Stuart H.Q. Chair at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, believes the advice provided “helps frame the cancer treatment discussion, set expectations, inform patients about complex therapies and support their participation in a difficult decision-making process” (Weiser). His job ensures each individual gains full awareness of their symptoms and which treatment plan is best, whether they get all the information from a physician or only some. The feeling is mutual with Lisa Hanchey, author of “WebMD: good or bad medicine?’ She focuses her article around the opinions of doctors. For example, Dr. Gautum explicitly states “an informed patient is one who is going to help me take care of them” (Hanchey). The doctors mentioned in her article all agree, a patient calling with questions of concern will benefit them rather than cause anxiety. Weiser and Hanchey reach a common ground because the results provided online are resourceful, but a doctor’s visit should occur shortly

I would evaluate the credibility by searching domains with the endings like .edu, .gov, .org, and .com. These domains tend to deliver a little more substance and credibility. These sources are highly trusted with helpful information. To further your search and narrow it down, you can use “Boolean”

A significant element in nursing is the need to convey information and educate the patient to facilitate achievement of an optimal health status. This teaching informs the patient and allows them to participate in their own care. Knowledge empowers the patient so they can incorporate it into their lives. Education directs the patient to resources, support and may enhance the patient’s coping skills. Information is a dynamic tool that, if utilized may contribute to better health outcomes.

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

The positive outlook of this approach is if nurses give patients enough information about their care patients can become participants in making decisions about their health Brenan and Safron (2003) According to (Stewart 2002) We can empower patients by giving them the power to influence

As the popularity of the internet has increased, people rely on internet information. Searching for an information can bring many information, but all of these information’s are not always credible. In order to apply best evidence based practices in nursing, finding reliable information is equally important. Such information’s can be found by searching a peer-reviewed articles in a library database such as the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Cochrane Library and MEDLINE. My current work place provides an access to their library and I access this library for information. I like PubMed articles, which provide an immense information on health care topics.

Dr. Patricia Benner is responsible for the idea that a nurse begins her career as a novice, having a sound educational base, and eventually develops into an expert nurse after a multitude of experiences in the field (“From Novice to Expert”, 2013). This paper will explore Benner’s five stages to becoming clinically competent. This paper will also discuss the use of information technology in the clinical setting, including potential benefits of electronic health records to nurses and the impact of health information technology on consumer health.