Evaluating a Website for Credibility: Mayo Clinic
Chamberlain College of Nursing
NR500: Foundational Concepts and Applications
Summer 2014
Evaluating a Website for Credibility: Mayo Clinic
In this paper, I have chosen a health-related website and evaluated its credibility. The search engine used to locate the domain, mayoclinic.org, was Google. The specific web address is http://mayoclinic.org. Mayo Clinic is a healthcare organization centered on patient care. It offers locations in Arizona, Florida, and Minnesota. Mayoclinic.org is a website based from the organization, Mayo Clinic, which offers a wealth of health-related information on medicine, occupational health, health promotion, and disease management. The purpose of
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Mayoclinic.org loads fairly quickly, different languages are available on some pages on the site, and a site search engine is also available. The site does not offer a font size change or specify computer requirements for optimal website viewing (Mayo Clinic, 2014).
Privacy and Security
A website’s “Privacy Policy” should disclose to the site visitor how their information will be gathered, shared, and used. This can refer to the use of “cookies” or other tracking software; personal information inputted by users to email list, site store, and newsletters; and third parties (CCN, 2014). Mayoclinic.org does not collect or house any information that will identify a user personally. Email addresses are not kept and all surveys conducted are de-identified. Any user can opt-out of any email communication, newsletter, or survey at any time. Mayoclinic.org does however use “cookies” to collect information about users and IP addresses. This information is used for marketing, research, and analysis purposes. For those users that open a medical or retail account, personal data is housed and may be shared to a third party, only in effort to provide a service to user of the account. Mayoclinic.org does caution its users in sharing person information on their website with third parties, fore they cannot control how they collect and use your personal information (Mayo Clinic, 2014).
Mayoclinic.org is considered a credible
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).
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
Upgrading our documentation to information and informatics comes with many advantages for the health care team to improve quality and safe ty improvement. Also, the use of technology such as telehealth, telenursing and videoconferencing are on the rise, and will be embedded into our communities and nursing organizations so that we can reach people around the country who do not have accessibility quality health care. Using technology to educate patients and families about credible websites, and how to search for pertinent information that is relevant to his or her health is a priority. The goal is to eliminate unnecessary emergency rooms visits. These actions foster communication and minimize anxiety
Education of patients and families regarding the reliability of internet information is prudent. Given the enormous amount of information available via the World Wide Web, not all of which, as you illustrate, is reliable, it is of great importance that patients and families comprehend the unreliability of some of the information they may acquire. Patients who are unable to gain access to health care secondary to a lack of funds, insurance, or availability of their provider, may be inclined to review their symptoms utilizing a search engine. Moreover, patients who were incapable of accessing healthcare due to reasons other than a lack of insurance are more likely to utilize the internet to obtain health related
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.
Since consumers are becoming more involved with their healthcare decisions, organizations and providers must adapt to consumer requisites and utilize independent resources to ensure the viability of their businesses. In 2008, a study reported that 81% of internet users and 66% of adults utilized online health information as a source for health related issues (Ha & Yun, 2011). Some examples of online health information resources comprised of search engines, organizational websites, and governmental agencies that participate in health related issues (Ha & Yun, 2011). By accessing health related information, consumers empower themselves with knowledge to assist in healthcare decisions and wellness management (Ha & Yun, 2011). As a result of consumers becoming better educated about healthcare, administrators must explore internet resources in order to maintain quality and services that is expected by consumers, and maintain the reputation of the organization.
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.
Your experiences with using online resources to look up health or medical issues. Do you know of any situation where someone has found information on the Internet that has not matched the advice given by their doctor? What do you think of the use of the Internet by non-medical professionals to seek advice and information about illnesses and other health issues? How much do you think the medical and health professionals where you are need to, and have, kept pace with developments on the Internet?
Six long, strenuous months have passed since the last doctor’s appointment and the pain increases rapidly. Busy schedules prevent many individuals from scheduling a second appointment, and when this occurs people seek comfort through the internet. Medical websites provide copious amounts of information on diseases, symptoms, and alternative methods of treatment but they are not a cure for diagnosis. These websites produce harmful effects on the mental health of patients, and they should resist the urge to google a treatment plan before the doctor diagnoses one. The equipment and resources available at clinics and hospitals provide more accuracy than the internet ever will.
Whenever I am sick and show symptoms I have not had in the past, I turn to the computer and search for what I have. I usually go to the first site that pops up, Mayo Clinic. Is there a better site, or is Mayo Clinic reliable?
Once on this site, there are headings labeled across the top that will aid in searching for what the site offers. For example, the diseases chosen are in alphabetical order and can be chosen using the first letter of the word. Another example is the headings are set for children, teens and elders. All of the information listed on this site can be printed and used as education or information. All advertisements on this site are clearly marked as advertisement and guidelines are set as to what the advertisements cannot contain. With all of this, browsing on this site is not difficult.
The information provided on this site is factual and can be used to educate the population. This web page is open to the public for viewing. I enjoy learning new information from this site to share with my students and patients.
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
More so, the usage of the Internet and other global media has expanded the ability of patients to have access to an enormous amount of information about diseased previously thought “too technical” requiring government policy that sought to limit the control and influence of physicians.