Website Critique: WebMD - Case Study Example

Website Critique The website selected for the particular assignment is “WebMD: Better Information, Better Health”, which provides information regarding numerous health conditions and tips on living a better life. The website address is: “http://www.webmd.com/” The primary author of the website is not an individual rather it is an organization by the name WebMD, that is, it is registered under the name WebMD. The need for clearly identifying the audience the website is intended for is extremely significant. Therefore, it is clear from the website that the intended audience is not any one group in specific; it caters to the needs of males, females, teenagers, etc. But the website is not for children under the age of 13 as it contains explicit information regarding sex and sexual relationships (Terms and conditions of use, 2009). Another aspect that is important in assessing health-related website is that its purpose should be obvious and definite (Boklaschuk & Caisse, 2001). The purpose of the site can be clearly inferred, that is to offer information to its audience about the different dimensions of life such as pregnancy, menopause, parenting, sex and relationships, mental health, eating and diet, etc and also give information on how to lead a better and healthy lifestyle. The website clearly states that it ‘does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment’ (Terms and conditions of use, 2009). The information that is offered by the website does not come out to be infomercial, that is, the information is not a commercial camouflaged as health education (Boklaschuk & Caisse, 2001). This is evident from the complete information the site provides on health issues and keeping advertisements aside. Furthermore, there is no biasness in the information provided by the website. The writers of the articles discuss all the aspects involved in a specific topic. For example in leading a healthy lifestyle, the site offered information on how to get pregnant faster; the author provided both the dos and the don’ts that women need follow in order to achieve this feat (Mann, 2008). Even though, the website offers information on numerous topics but still it covers all the aspects involved in the subject. For example, the site provides readers with information on sleep disorders. Along with a general outline and facts of the disorder, information on its signs and kinds, identification and examinations, handling and how to manage the disorder is also provided. Furthermore, the website also provides the readers with useful external links through which readers can access relevant information (Sleep disorders, No date). The website does not provide the diagnoses or treatment advice itself; rather it provides links through which various articles of highly qualified medical personnel can be accessed for these matters. Another factor that is involved is evaluating a health website is the correctness of the information that is provided by the website (Boklaschuk & Caisse, 2001). The website, WebMD, provides the readers with links that include biography of the writers of the different articles it publishes online. The qualification and experience is clearly stated in those links. For example, the writer of the article ‘7 tips on getting pregnant faster’ is Denise Mann who is a self-employed health writer and also writes for a number of other reputable health-related websites (Mann, 2008). On WebMD, the information is quite accurate as various articles written by different authors are reviewed by individuals who are MDs and have vast experience in the field of medicine. For example, the article on how to get pregnant faster was reviewed by Louise Chang who is certified by the board in internal medicine (Mann, 2008). Also, proper documentation of the articles is done with each author providing the resources that were used in writing the piece of work. This is done by providing a link to the readers through which they can view all the resources that were used as references in the article. Thus, the validity and the reliability of the information on WebMD can be easily confirmed (Rutherford, 2008). Moreover, the site clearly states that it is certified by the HON Code. HON Code is a set of guidelines generated by Health on the Net Foundation, that are used as guiding principles to assist in bringing together the quality of medical and health information available on the internet (The services offered by HON, 2010).  The website clearly posts the dates of the publications of the various articles it publishes. Moreover, the revision dates of the articles are recent enough to report the revolutions that take place in the specific field that the articles are related to. This suggests that WebMD is updated regularly in order to be up-to-date with the changes that take place in the field of medicine and other related areas of study (Rutherford, 2008). As mentioned previously, WebMD caters to the needs of the public in general. It contains information for all the people that is, males, females, youth, academics, minorities, etc. The level of the details that the site offers is quite appropriate as it covers all the dimensions of the different subjects it offers information on. This means that the concepts are very clear and ambiguous to the readers (Rutherford, 2008). Furthermore, the technical terms and the terminologies used in the website are quite easy for the general public to comprehend as they are main audience to whom the website is intended to reach. Even if there are terminologies that might be difficult to understand, the site offers a glossary along each article for facilitating the general user. The website is extremely well-made, that is, it is very easy to find the way through the different areas of the website. WebMD is organized in such a systematic manner that assists the reader to easily find of the information. The website offers internal links which add to effectiveness of the site and the information that is required can be accessed in a timely manner. But, the high-tech video presentation of different subjects can slow down if the internet is connected from a slow modem. Therefore, the management should take appropriate measures to overcome this issue and facilitate the users with a slow modem. Furthermore, the site also offers a search engine that allows the user to browse the internet by using key words or choices from the menu. Also, if any type of software is required for viewing certain type of information or page WebMD gives links to download the software from the internet. The external links that are provided by the website for the readers to browse through extra information are relevant and appropriate for this site. All the external links are operable and can be easily navigated by a simple click. The information on these external links is recent enough to report the revolutions that take place within the field. Furthermore, as the website is for the general public, therefore, the external links that it offers are appropriate for the audiences, that is, the external links do not connect to highly technical websites. The external links connect to reliable information form dependable resources and the links are given to institutions that should be represented. The structure of the website is such that the educational graphics and other visual effects add to the effectiveness of WebMD, but the decorative graphics can slow down the downloading. On the other hand, text-only alternative is accessible for text-only browsers and the value of the site does not suffer when using the text-only option. This means that if the users are unable to access the audio/visual components of the site, the information on the site is still complete. Another significant aspect of the site is that it offers useful options for the disabled persons. This is done by offering larger font sizes for individuals with a weak eye sight. The website also provides readers with complete information on how to contact them regarding any queries or complaints. This is done by providing the users with the complete e-mail address. WebMD is a website that can not only prove useful to the general public but the future nurses can also find this website extremely handy. This is because it offers complete information on the different aspects involved in order to lead a better and healthy lifestyle. Moreover, the site can also facilitate the nursing process because it provides clinically helpful technical terms that are of great use to the nurses (Rutherford, 2008). WebMD is a useful tool for gathering information about various health-related issues. Moreover, the site not only provides information for physical diseases but also offers information on psychological disorders and problems. Furthermore, it gives tips to the readers on how to lead a healthy lifestyle by offering information on emotional health, physical fitness, eating and diet, etc. Thus, the website is a complete package and caters completely to the needs of the general public. REFERENCES Boklaschuk, K. & Caisse, K. (2001). Evaluation of educational websites. Retrieved from http://www.usask.ca/education/coursework/802papers/bokcaisse/bokcaisse. htm Mann, D. (2008). 7 tips for getting pregnant faster. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/baby/guide/7-tips-getting-pregnant-faster?page=3 Rutherford, M. A. (2008). Standardized nursing language: What does it mean for nursing practice? The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 13(1). Retrieved from http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANA Periodicals/OJIN/TableofContents/vol132008/No1Jan08/ArticlePreviousTopic/StandardizedNursingLanguage.aspx Sleep disorders. (No date). WebMD. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com Terms and conditions of use. (2009). WebMD. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/about-webmd-policies/about-terms-and-conditions-of-use?ss=ftr The services offered by HON. (2010). Health on the Net Foundation: Non-governmental organization. Retrieved from http://www.hon.ch/ Read More