DISCERN Evaluation of Cancer.ca 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. The DISCERN Instrument The DISCERN instrument was developed by the National Health Services (NHS) as a result of a national project to develop quality standards for written information on treatment choices (DISCERN Handbook). The NHS is an organization that provides health care of all citizens in the United Kingdom regardless of their ability to pay (NHS Website). DISCERN was the first standardized index of quality
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).
Assessment tools are used in the care planning process to build up a holistic picture of an individual’s needs. When all the details have been recorded an assessment can be made and suitable care and support can be identified. A few of the assessment tools are information from the individual such as diaries, observations, medical histories and checklists.
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 validity of the information on a website is indicated by the reliability of the information sources and developers, as well as the reliability and expertise of the information reviewers ("Evaluating internet health,”). Claims made by the information should be unbiased and based on fact, not opinion.
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.
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
Coming from a background heavy in NICU and pediatric homehealth experience, I chose to create a hypothetical situation that related to a common problem that many children contract and spread. My demographic area has a large population of immigrants and lower income families, so education and effective communication is a must.
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?
Ashton, C., Kuykendall, David H., Johnson, Michael M. (1999). An Empirical Assessment of the Validity of Explicit and Implicit Process-of-Care Criteria for Quality Assessment. 27(8). 798-808.
The white paper provided the guidelines and framework to tackle cancer at every stages and prevention. The health initiative ‘Be Clear on Cancer’ is only the beginning to get people aware of the signs and symptoms of cancer, so that patients are encouraged come in for cancer screening. In the UK, cancer treatment or the referral to a
According to the Canadian Cancer Statistics (2015), “about 2 in 5 Canadians will develop cancer in their lifetime, and about 1 in 4 Canadians will die of cancer” (p. 6). In 1971, President Nixon and Congress declared a war on cancer. Since then, the U.S Federal government has spent over 105 billion on the effort. Dr. Spector and Dr. Kolata, a noted professor of medicine, pharmacology and biochemistry, have noted that since 1950, the cancer death rate, adjusted for the size and age of the population has decreased by only 5%. They argue that there has been little progress on the war against cancer.
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 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.