Assignment 3: Website Critique
Assignment 3: Website Critique
The Internet has now been an immediate source when looking for medical information. In the United States alone, there are as much as 88.5 million adults who search the World Wide Web in order to obtain health information in 2005 (Diaz et al., 2002, p.180). Based on research, it was estimated that there were about 100,000 health-related websites back in 2002, and currently it reached approximately 350,000 (Diaz et al., 2002, p.180). Based on these numbers, it is evident that the Internet has always been a source of health information, especially when dealing with personal issues. However, the number of health-related websites continuously grow, and there are times when other websites present information that are inaccurate and unreliable. For this, Internet users must learn how to evaluate the quality of website information and determine its reliability, especially when it has something to do with one’s health, as they affect the medical decisions of patients and their families when managing with health.
One of the websites that guide the audience on how to identify valid, reliable information on the Internet is found in YouTube. It is a PowerPoint presentation that HealthOnNet conducted, entitled “Navigate Safely—A Video Guide by the Health on the Net Foundation (HON)”. It presents a criteria of eight questions that help in identifying which health-related websites are valid and reliable, and which are not. The eight questions in the criteria are:
How much can you trust the author?
Does the site affect the doctor-patient relationship?
Does the site respect the concept of privacy?
Does the site attribute sources?
Is the site justifiable?
Is the site transparent?
Can you trust the site’s financial disclosure?
What is the site’s advertising policy? (HealthOnNet, 2012)
Applying the Criterion for Identifying Reliable Information in the Internet
One of the health-related websites that is available in the Internet is the National Center for Biotechnology Information or NCBI [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/]. This website is intended for adult and elder adult audiences, who look for valid and reliable health-related resources, especially those who look for journal articles and researches done by the experts. One of the latest resources, for example, within the NCBI website is the article that Offtedal et al. (2017) wrote, entitled “Body composition, diet, and physical activity: a longitudinal cohort study in preschoolers with cerebral palsy” (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28077375). To identify if this is a valid, reliable information, the criteria of HealthOnNet will be applied:
The site affects the doctor-patient relationship, since the site only supports and not replaces the doctor-patient relationship. This is evident in the given research article in the particular website. Because it is a research article, the patient would need the knowledge and expertise of the doctor to be able to apply the research in the given case of the patient. The article does not replace the doctor-patient relationship because there is much more important things to know on the side of the patient, which the doctor can explain or help the patient understand. This criterion is important because it specifies the goal of the website article, and what the website is trying to invoke to its readers.
The site respects the concept of privacy, as specified in the privacy statement (https://www.aap.org/en-us/Pages/Privacy-Statement.aspx). This criteria is important because users of the website have the right to keep their privacy intact, especially during collection of information and during disclosure of data as well. It is important that they keep private things like the personal information being supplied by website users, and the tracking information being collected, as users navigate around the website.
The site attributes sources, as it is shown that there were 38 sources used by the authors. This criterion is important because all writers should acknowledge the information that they use, including those that come from other writers or organizations.
The site is justifiable, especially since the authors have listed the limitations of the study, as seen in page 6 of the research article. The authors also mentioned at the bottom of the article that they have no potential conflicts of interest to disclose to its readers. This criterion is important because readers have the right to know both sides of the argument, as well as the limitations that hinder the progress of the argument. They should present these, so readers would understand and be able to assess the missing facts in the research.
The site is transparent because below the research article, there is a portion for the NCBI Information, where all details about the organization is stated under About NCBI. There is also a portion of NCBI News, and a Support Center that website users can contact. This criterion is important because the readers have the right and the means of being able to connect with the website and/or the authors of the research article if in case they have questions to ask. They should have the capacity to connect with the website.
The website presents its financial disclosure at the bottom of the research article (http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/138/4/e20161321.long). They verified that Dr. Bell received the speaker fees and the expenses that were used for a future study protocol. Other authors stated they have had no financial expenses relevant to the accomplishment of the research article being presented. This appears to be reliable, since they presented that it was funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council or NHMRC. This criterion is important so that the readers would understand the sources (e.g., financial) the authors used when they wrote the research article and when they conducted the research. Having listed the health organization financing the research adds up to the credibility and reliability of the source, and adds to the viability of the article.
In terms of the advertising policy, the website uses a clear and justifiable one, wherein all advertisements are presented only at the top of the website page, as well as, the right side of the website page. By this, the readers would clearly distinguish the editorial portion from the advertisement portion. The website has also presented their policies clearly (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/home/about/policies.shtml) at the bottom of the research article. This criterion is also important because it makes the website more credible.
Using the criteria of HealthOnNet (2012), it appears that the NCBI website is a valid and reliable website that users can rely on when searching for health-related information in the Internet. With this, the writer recommends this website to be a useful tool in the Internet.
References:
Commonwealth of Massachusetts. (n.d.). Guide to using health information on the Internet. Retrieved January 13, 2017 from http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/docs/dph/com-health/guide-health-info-on-internet.pdf.
Diaz, J.A., Griffith, R.A., Ng, J.J., Reinert, S.E., Friedmann, P.D., & Moulton, A.W. (2002). Patients’ use of the Internet for medical information. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 17(1), 180-185. Retrieved January 13, 2017 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1495021/pdf/jgi_10603.pdf.
HealthOnNet. (2012). Navigate safely—a video guide by the Health On the Net Foundation (HON). YouTube. Retrieved January 13, 2017 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_PdLOO-XGQ.
Miller, J.T. (2013, August 4). How to find the best medical information online. The Huffington Post. Retrieved January 13, 2017 from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jim-t-miller/online-medical-information_b_3667454.html.
Oftedal, S., Davies, P.S., Boyd, R.N., Stevenson, R.D., Ware, R.S., Keawutan, P.,, & Bell, K.L. (2016). Longitudinal growth, diet, and physical activity in young children with cerebral palsy. Pediatrics, 138(4), e20161321. Retrieved January 14, 2017 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27604185.
Oftedal, S., Davies, P.S., Boyd, R.N., Stevenson, R.D., Ware, R.S., Keawutan, P.,, & Bell, K.L. (2016). Longitudinal growth, diet, and physical activity in young children with cerebral palsy. Pediatrics, 138(4), e20161321. Retrieved January 14, 2017 from http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/pediatrics/138/4/e20161321.full.pdf.
