In week five we covered almost all of the concepts we have learned to date in our class. Specifically we discussed Consumer Health Informatics and eHealth. Many people always say to not believe what you read on the Internet. This statement is extremely valid in many cases because anyone can put up a web page. Here are some articles that have been posted online that have been confirmed to be false. - newsmax/TheWire/judd-nelson-death-hoax-fake/2014/10/28/id/603487/ - hollywoodlife/2014/11/08/macaulay-culkin-dead-dies-home-alone-fans-react-death-hoax/ Here is a WikiHow page to determine if a website is valid or not: wikihow/Spot-a-Fake-Review-Website Hollywood, fox news, TMZ and many other celebrity sites are famous for their fake scandals. They do this to receive attention and of course for the money. Aside from who cheated on whom in Hollywood, and the latest fake diet fabs, unfortunately, there is important information on the Internet that is not concrete. Based on the tutorial we watched online gives ways to prove if you can trust a website. You should look for who runs the site, the purpose for the site, what do they want from you and is the information they propose believable. A way to determine if a website is valid and creditable is by evaluating the website based on 7 criteria. • Credibility: includes the source, currency, relevance/utility, and editorial review process for the information. • Content: must be accurate and complete, and an appropriate disclaimer provided. • Disclosure: includes informing the user of the purpose of the site, as well as any profiling or collection of information associated with using the site. • Links: evaluated according to selection, architecture, content, and back linkages. • Design: encompasses accessibility, logical organization (navigability), and internal search capability. • Interactivity: includes feedback mechanisms and means for exchange of information among users. • Caveats: clarification of whether site function is to market products and services or is a primary information content provider. Now that technology has advanced, and hospitals are starting to implement information being accessible online, it is important that patients are able to locate, share and translate the information that they are finding to better their health. I believe that shifting health information online for the future is an excellent and efficient way to allow patients to take control and responsibility for their own health, as well as, learn more about a condition or treatment that they have or may be receiving. However, if the information is posted online for patients to be able to access, it is very important that they have the ability and the literacy to translate medical terms and conditions to further understand their health. The downside for reading health information on the Internet is, of course, the validation of the information. If patients decide to research symptoms they are experiencing they may find information that may not be true to what could be causing their symptoms. This could create panic and a mistaken understanding of what is really going on with their body and its health. Personally, when I start to have certain symptoms I look them up on the Internet to get an idea if I should be concerned, and many websites that I have visited have shown worst case scenarios that make me much more worried than I should be. For example, if you look on the website, webmd there are many different diagnosis for a same symptom. I believe that patients should only look at ways to take charge of their health, only after they receive the all of the information and their diagnosis from their physician so that they can research what is specific to what they are experiencing. As nurses, we can recommend to patients which sites contain valid information and also where they can access reliable resources.
Posted on: Tue, 11 Nov 2014 20:13:30 +0000
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