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 protected and how?
This site was chosen for its popularity and the wealth and breadth of information that are available to anyone with internet access. Tens of millions of people access this website monthly to gain insight and information into their health concerns. WebMD is a resource intended for a wide scope of readers: physicians, nurses, and consumers. The vast majority of users that access WebMD are Caucasian females between the ages of 18-50+ who are college graduates. Literature found on WebMD are: health information, symptom checklist, suggestions for treatment, information on medication, different links to additional information, and a place to store you information for future reference if one desires. All internet users must approach searching for health information through a systematic analytical review process. The evaluation process for a health information Web site should use the same basic principles for evaluation of general Web sites, but since health information can involve ...
... middle of paper ...
... be a disclaimer on each site regarding obtaining information at your own risk? Should the information be legislated?
Reference
Hebda, T., & Czar, P. (2009). Handbook of informatics for nurses & healthcare professionals (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Thede, L. Q., & Sewell, J.P. (2010). Informatics and nursing: Competencies and applications (3rd ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
John Hopkins University, The Sheridan Libraries. (2011). Retrieved February 13, 2011, from http://www.library.jhu.edu/researchhelp/general/evaluating/index.html
WebMD Better Information. Better Health. (2010, June 16). Retrieved February 12, 2011, from http://www.webmd.com/about-webmd-policies/about-our-sponsors?ss=ftr
Wikipedia the Free Encyclopedia. (2011, February 10). Retrieved February 11, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WebMD
The strategy implemented by Express Clinic was external search, finding information from one or more sources when an internal search inadequate. Patients rely on the internet to search for valuable information, and external information searches have increased including the development of rating services. How information is presented is vital for marketers, and they need to be involved in pretesting and presenting the
...). Privacy and Health Information Technology. Journal of Law Medicine, 37(2), 121-149. Retrieved January 28, 2011 from CINAHL database
Introduction “Health informatics is the science that underlies the academic investigation and practical application of computing and communications technology to healthcare, health education and biomedical research” (UofV, 2012). This broad area of inquiry incorporates the design and optimization of information systems that support clinical practice, public health and research; understanding and optimizing the way in which biomedical data and information systems are used for decision-making; and using communications and computing technology to better educate healthcare providers, researchers and consumers. Although there are many benefits of bringing in electronic health systems there are glaring issues that associate with these systems. The
..., websites and online marketers do find ways around users’ precautions to gain personal information. There are many people out there who want to use personal information like credit card numbers or addresses to cause harm to others. These cases are the extremely negative ones that people want to and should avoid. The case of companies and third parties tracking browsing history and other information for advertising purposes hover over a finer line between good and bad. For some people, tracking can be considered convenient in terms of shopping for what they are interested in, and others may be uncomfortable with the thought of being tracked without knowing. As stated in the beginning, complete privacy is unlikely, but being informed about the tactics of the Internet can help one protect themselves and others in their care to be as careful and private as possible.
Did you ever think about how much time is spent on computers and the internet? It is estimated that the average adult will spend over five hours per day online or with digital media according to Emarketer.com. This is a significant amount; taking into consideration the internet has not always been this easily accessible. The world that we live in is slowly or quickly however you look at it: becoming technology based and it is shifting the way we live. With each day more and more people use social media, shop online, run businesses, take online classes, play games, the list is endless. The internet serves billions of people daily and it doesn’t stop there. Without technology and the internet, there would be no electronic health record. Therefore, is it important for hospitals and other institutions to adopt the electronic health record (EHR) system? Whichever happens, there are many debates about EHR’s and their purpose, and this paper is going to explain both the benefits and disadvantages of the EHR. Global users of the internet can then decide whether the EHR is beneficial or detrimental to our ever changing healthcare system and technology based living.
Web sites are just like magazines, newspapers, brochures, menus, or even directions on how to make nitroglycerin from house-hold goods, in that they all have to be put together in such a manner that whoever is reading or browsing over it will be able to clearly distinguish this from that. In this sense, a critique of any particular web site will have justification, while carefully considering also that this is an altogether new medium of information exchange. Now, all of this talk of togetherness is actually a general reference to basic design principles, such as color coordination, if color is used, text size, font choice/ style, art integration, accessibility, and just plain and simple design of the page. For example, it wouldn't be all that appealing to the eyeball if a page being viewed had all the text jumbled up in a corner, so small your eyes were bleeding by the time you figured out that it wasn't even worth the trouble. Darn. It's important to rememeber, especially these days, that what you read is as important as how it looks. Have you ever tried reading an interview in a Raygun magazine? Kinda hard, right? Design totally for its own sake is nice, as art that is, and admittedly it looks cool. However, it's two in the morning and you're standing in line at the corner 7-11 trying to pay for your 40 ounce bottle of Kool-Aid, and you happen to see that your favorite MTV Pearl Crap-clone band is on the cover of this hip magazine and you go to read it, but you can't. It's not because to you failed elementary school three times in two years, but because the maestro in charge decided to get fancy with it and thought it'd be cool if he hid the text under a black box or likewise photograph. I like to loo...
E-Health may have developed as an integral platform for the health industry to build upon and shape itself towards the future but this does not cover the drawbacks that this platform carries along. In spite of all the pros of this field, the cons should not be overshadowed as these cons can be a major setback to the rapidly growing and progressing health industry. Because of the infancy of this platform, lack of standards and initial setbacks like the startup cost, regular maintenance and update, privacy protection and some legal issues have been seen as major hurdles to its development.
Encompassed within the boundaries of this research paper, I will outline the rationale of constructing and implementing a publicly accessible patient portal for a healthcare organization. I will examine the utility, purpose and the technology requirements. Furthermore I will identify key employee involvement and the project tasks to make it operational and conclude with the highly probable benefits that the organization can expect to profit from its use. Despite all of the challenges presented in this paper, the benefits of this project has the potential to provide the organization a substantial return on investment (ROI) as highlighted by Heath Bell when he articulated, “portals are expected to be a key conduit for engaging patients in their care and getting them important health care information as quickly as possible” (Bell. 2012)
The two websites I have chosen to compare are Web MD, http://www.webmd.com/, and Mayo Clinic, http://www.mayoclinic.org/. These two websites are speaking towards the same subject, which is medical reasoning. However, they both may seem to aim toward the same audience, but one is for a professional audience and one is for a non-technical audience. People who want information about medical issues are going to view these sites.
...ompanies’ databases without our awareness—much less our approval—the more deeply the Net is woven into our lives the more exposed we become. In order to stop online tracking, we have to take personal responsibility for the information we share and modify our privacy settings. We have to get bills and regulations passed by congress so laws can be made to limit corporations from tracking and sharing our personal formation and discipline and take action upon any corporation that does not abide by the rules.
...explains and clarifies key provisions of the medical privacy regulation, this is a reliable source of information which was published last December (HIPAA, 1996). Guaranteeing the accuracy, security and protecting the privacy of all medical information is crucial and an ongoing challenge for many organizations.
Authority is of course of major concern when one is examining a website about a disorder that affects so many children and even adults. In order to establish authority one must ask a few questions, who authored the page and does the author have the proper credibility, just to name a couple. WebMD is authored by experts in medicine and health communication. Not only is the website authored by individuals in medicine it is also reviewed by a national network of physicians on a routine basis. This lends to establishing that the website has the proper level credibility for individuals seeking to know more about this disorder.
For all these reasons, our privacy should be
Paul J., Seib R., Prescott T. The internet and clinical trials: background, online resources, examples and issues. J Med Internet Res. 2005; 7(1):e5
Papacharissi, Zizi, and Jan Fernback. "Online Privacy And Consumer Protection: An Analysis Of Portal Privacy Statements." Journal Of Broadcasting & Electronic Media 49.3 (2005): 259-281. Communication & Mass Media Complete. Web. 24 Nov. 2013.