Internet Critical Review - Research Paper Example

?Internet Critical Review Alzheimer’s Disease The Three Best Websites The three best websites include WebMD, MedicineNet.com, and Alzheimer’s Association. WebMD http://www.webmd.com/alzheimers/default.htm This is the best website because of several reasons. Firstly, the website is easy to navigate and all the information about Alzheimer’s disease can be easily accessed. For instance, it begins with the disease overview and offers links to where one can find more information about the disease. Secondly, the information provided by the website is relevant and comprehensive. For instance, the definition of the disease encompasses questions like ‘what is dementia, sun-downing, Alzheimer’s?’ and an Alzheimer’s disease illustration. When defining dementia in the context of Alzheimer’s disease, the website states that dementia is a collection of symptoms that result from various conditions or diseases (WebMD 1). The criteria used to assess the website are how interactive the website is, relevance of the information on the site, how easy the information can be accessed and how detailed the information is. The content of the website is all about Alzheimer’s disease (symptoms and types, diagnosis and tests, treatment and care, living and managing, and support and resources). In other words, the content offers detailed information to the individual concerned with the disease. The website can be improved by including more pictures relevant to Alzheimer’s disease. MedicineNet.com http://www.medicinenet.com/alzheimers_disease_causes_stages_and_symptoms/page5.htm#toch Among the three best websites, this is the best one. First, it offers thorough and detailed information about Alzheimer’s disease. It begins by a detailed definition of dementia and goes on to explain what Alzheimer’s disease is. Second, the information given is systematic, that is, it follows a certain order. It begins by defining dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, and then it explains who can develop the disease, the symptoms of the disease, warning signs, causes of the disease and other information of relevance for the reader. Third, words or phrases that may look difficult to the reader are highlighted and a link is given to each word or phrase so as to give the reader more information about it. The content of the website is rich; it has images, quizzes, slideshow of pictures related to Alzheimer’s disease. It also has information on where one can get help and other conditions related to Alzheimer’s disease. The criteria used to assess the website are how interactive the website is, relevance of the information, how easy the information can be accessed, and how detailed the information is. Though the website was the best among the three, it needs some improvement on its layout. For instance, the links are numerous and they should be reduced so as to make it easy to access information. Alzheimer’s Association http://alz.org/ This website is also among the best websites. It is one of the for a number of reasons. First, the website is relevant to Alzheimer’s disease; it is fully dedicated to giving information about the disease. Moreover, it also provides statistics on the disease, which is important for the community and the researchers. Also, the website offers information regarding research done on Alzheimer’s disease. Further, information provided is offered in several languages, such as Spanish, Chinese and some other languages (Alzheimer’s Association). This makes the website more interactive because people can access the information in languages they understand. This feature is unique among the three best websites. The layout of the website is simple; it begins by giving 2012 facts and figures of the disease (the facts and figures for 2012 state that 1 in 8 older Americans is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease) (Alzheimer’s Association). The Education and Resource Center section offers other information about the disease such as diagnosing the disease, its basics, research and caring for individuals with the disease (Alzheimer’s Association). The criteria used to assess the website are how interactive the website is, relevance of the information, how easy the information can be accessed, and how detailed the information is. Access to information in the Education and Resource Center section is not easy; it takes a while before one gets the information he or she wants. Thus, the section needs improvement. The Three Worst Websites Everyday Health http://www.everydayhealth.com/senior-health/alzheimers/index.aspx Everyday Health is one of the worst websites. The website does not fulfill the criteria used for the evaluation of the websites. The criteria used to assess the website are how interactive the website is, relevance of the information, how easy the information can be accessed, and how detailed the information is. Though the information given is relevant to Alzheimer’s disease, it dwells too much on dementia. Accessing information is a bit difficult making the website less interactive. For instance, there are several links given to accessing particular information. If one has to go back to previous article read, he or she has to start from the home page. Arrangement of the information is not systematic and accessing particular articles is not easy. The website needs improvement. First, the information must be arranged in a systematic way and in a manner that enables the reader to easily access articles previously read. The layout of the website should also be made more interactive. MedlinePlus http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/alzheimersdisease.html#cat1 MedlinePlus is also one of the worst websites. The website does not fulfill two of the criteria used for assessing the websites. The website does not fulfill the ease of access to information and relevance of the information criteria. Information provided by the website can only be accessed through a link, which opens a different website. Thus, it makes accessing information less straightforward. Though the linked websites are informational, they offer information that differs slightly between each other. For instance, the definition of Alzheimer disease on the National Institute on Aging website is more complex than the definition given on the NIH SeniorHealth website. This makes it difficult for the reader to choose the website that gives detailed information. The website itself does not offer much information about Alzheimer’s disease. It only gives a little information about the condition; the rest of the information is offered in the form of links. For example, it defines Alzheimer’s disease as one of the most common forms of dementia in older people (MedlinePlus 1). The website needs improvement on its layout and it should be made more interactive and informational. This can be done integrating the information on the website other than providing links to other websites. HealthyPeople.gov http://healthypeople.gov/2020/topicsobjectives2020/overview.aspx?topicid=7 This website is also one of the worst websites. Like the previous two websites, HealthyPeople.gov does not fulfill the criteria used for the evaluation of the websites. The criteria used to assess the website are how interactive the website is, relevance of the information, how easy the information can be accessed and how detailed the information is. The information presented in the website is not relevant. The website talks much of dementia instead of Alzheimer’s disease. It only talks of the objectives and overview of dementia (Alzheimer’s disease included). The information provided is not very detailed, for instance, there is no definition of Alzheimer’s disease. The only definition given is that of dementia. Despite the mentioned shortcomings, the website is easily accessible. The website needs a lot of improvement in regard to its layout and content. Since the website aims at educating the public about health issues, it should include more information about issues of health. In this case, the information given about Alzheimer’s disease is clearly scarce. The website should also be made more interactive by including discussion forums, diagrams and videos about the disease. Works Cited Alzheimer’s Association. 2012 Facts & Figures. Alzheimer’s Disease, 2012. Web. 10 March 2012. Everyday Health. Alzheimer’s Disease. Everyday Health, 2012. Web. 10 March 2012. HealthyPeople.gov. Dementias, Including Alzheimer’s Disease. HealthyPeople.gov, 8 Feb. 2012. Web. 10 March 2012. MedicineNet.com. Alzheimer’s Disease. MedicineNet.com, 2012. Web. 10 March 2012. MedlinePlus. Alzheimer’s Disease. MedlinePlus, 1 Feb. 2012. Web. 10 March 2012. WebMD. Alzheimer’s Disease Health Center. WebMD, 2012. Web. 10 March 2012. Read More