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Website Evaluation: WebMDRaeJeanne GuizarDixie State UniversityWebsite Evaluation: WebMDRelevanceWe live in a world where health data is at our fingertips through online access to health resources. As both a healthcare provider and a consumer of health information and data, it is important to be able to determine the relevance of health data and to critically evaluate sources of information. I chose to evaluate . This site is one of the most popular and most widely used health-specific search engines, and provides a data through a wide variety of media forms. Additionally, my workplace has partnered with WebMD to create health assessments for employees through an employee health and wellness portal, so I wanted to gain a deeper understanding of how the health data of this website is obtained and presented. Additionally, this website is applicable to a number of the course objectives. For instance, one of the course objectives for nursing 3400 is to “Discuss how consumer use of the Internet has changed healthcare delivery” (web). Web MD offers consumers information that allows them to be more informed, as well as to make decisions about healthcare and current symptoms through clinical decision support systems (CDSS are another topic among our course objectives). The course objectives also state the importance of having standards regarding data in healthcare, so further evaluation of this popular and widely-used site is an opportunity assess the credibility of this site. WebMD focuses on a wide range of current issues, from breaking news in health to product recalls and health advisories. This site reaches a wide range of people due to its focus on multiple aspects of healthcare, from fitness to surgical procedures (WebMD, 2014). According to Alexa Internet Inc. (2014), WebMD is used extensively by the public. It is ranked much higher than many competitor websites. For instance, WebMD is ranked number 124 out of all sites accessed in the U.S. from any category, while Medline Plus is ranked number 286,398. WebMD also has a relatively high global rank, as it is the 340th most used site worldwide. Therefore, based on high traffic to this site analyzed via metrics from Alexa Internet Inc., as well as the multiple aspects of health covered by this website, I found the relevance of WebMD to be high. Description of Evaluation CriteriaThe criteria used to evaluate this website include credibility/authority, accessibility, appearance and usability, currency, objectivity/lack of bias, and financial cost. These six criterion will be effective in providing a detailed analysis of the most critical components of the website. Credibility and authority are critical, because if a site is not credible and a provider of accurate information, it could lead to poor health decisions and outcomes for consumers. The remainder of the criteria listed each address a specific issue, that affects user experience, ease of access, functioning ability, and appeal of the site that affect how often the site is used and how helpful it is to consumers. Therefore, I found these criterion to be the most applicable in website evaluation. Website EvaluationBelow is an objective evaluation of how well WebMD met the criteria listed above. Credibility/AuthorityWebMD is an independent website that has developed to be just what it sounds like: a website with content created by medical doctors. WebMD is a compilations of the latest medical findings. According to WebMD (2014a), original website content is created by a team of MDs based on clinical significance (findings from sources such as The Journal of the American Medical Association) and relevance (current issues in medicine today). Additionally, when WebMD publishes an article or video of an interview, the interviewer is an objective, insightful expert. WebMD is also devoted to integrity, independence, and journalistic excellence. This site has received multiple awards yearly, which can be found on their awards page link (WebMD, 2014e). The chief editor of WebMD is a MD as well, and has experience as a Chief Resident as Georgia Baptist Medical Center in Atlanta, Georgia (WebMD, 2014a). WebMD is a URAC accredited health website as well, which means that it is required to provide evidence-based information, and is assessed by URAC to ensure that all standards are met in the process of providing health information (WebMD, 2014b). The accreditation, formal process of creating original content, and accessible references of sponsor content all contribute to the credibility/authority of WebMD.AccessibilityWebMD is accessible to anyone and everyone who has access to the internet, without exclusions. The site is also available in other languages: for instance, there is a Spanish portal with issues specific to the Hispanic and Latino community (WebMD, 2014c). The site’s accessibility is slightly hampered by the fact that the refresh time is slower than the average site. In other words, 60% of other sites are faster than WebMD (Alexa Internet Inc., 2014). This may be due in part to the high volume of content that the website provides. Personally, the refresh rate did not create an issue for viewing content as I navigated through the site. WebMD also offers a variety of extras that improve accessibility. For instance, when the consumer creates a profile, he or she can access personal programs that allow the individual to record current medications and check for interactions between drugs, keep vaccination records current, and track health and fitness progress. These features are only accessible after creating a personal account. However, there are other extras that improve accessibility without the need to create and account, such as an option to “listen” to site content, which allows the consumer to have an audio-playback of the words on the webpage (WebMD, 2014d). This could be especially helpful for people with vision problems or people who prefer to multi-task. Data from WebMD may also be shared via social media, such as Facebook or twitter, which further increases access to content. Appearance and UsabilityWebMD is found at , which is of course, a .com or commercial site. Since it is a site to make money, and more traffic means more money, it makes sense that a visually appealing site would be ideal for WebMD. Images are crisp and clean. The layout is very user-friendly, with large icons and well-defined links. If consumers have difficulty finding the information needed, there is an option to access a customer support center, an well as contact site directors via email (WebMD, 2014d). Additionally, Muthukumarasamy, Osmani, Sharpe, & England (2012) conducted a study on health search engines to determine their usability score. WebMD had an exceptional score of over 90% in the area of usability, which was significantly higher than the average of 66.7% (Muthukumarasamy et al., 2012). Currency WebMD (2014a) includes the value of currency in its mission statement. They regularly conduct updates, and if information is found to be incorrect or outdated, their policy is to make a correction and show that a correction was made for 60 days in order to show the user the change and that the new data is current. According to the Health on the Net Foundation (2014), WebMD meets the qualification criteria for accreditation via this organization in all areas, including the aspect of currency that states that “Information must be documented: Referenced, and dated” (web). For instance, articles on show the author and the date the article was published or updated. Additionally, every two year, the website accreditation is reviewed by URAC to ensure compliance and currency. Objectivity/Lack of BiasWebMD is funded by a number of sponsors that allow for high-quality content to be published. According to the Health on the Net Foundation (2014), WebMD discloses the names of all sponsors, and clearly identifies the source of content as to whether it is original content developed by editors at WebMD, or if it is presented from a sponsor or other third-party source. Therefore, WebMD meets the standard for disclosure in this area. However, according to Mercola (2010), there were allegations against WebMD based on the claim that a depression screening was biased and told all respondents that could be at risk for depression. This was a problem, since WebMD partners with the drug company Eli Lilly, who sells Cymbalta, and anti-depressant medication. WebMD has since revised the survey, and has been cleared further allegations regarding the issue (Mercola, 2010). WebMD has since moved past this hiccup and regained credibility. Still, it is important to critically assess all information found and remember that it is not a substitute for medical treatment (WebMD, 2014d). Despite this bump in the road, the site has proven to be objective and free of bias overall and in the present. Financial Costs This website is completely free. According to the Health on the Net Foundation (2014), the site is “designed to provide news, information, and educational material to consumers and physicians.” (web). Despite the fact that it provides very high-profile information, the information is all free to the public. The site obtains funding through advertisement instead of charging providers and consumers money for site access. Another great free feature from WebMD is that it offers a free app for mobile devices. Summary/Overall RatingOverall, I found that WebMD is a comprehensive, user friendly, up-to-date, and appealing website. It doesn’t come as a surprise that WebMD is the second most-used site in the U.S., second only to the National Institutes of Health (Mercola, 2010). It has great features, from a symptom-checker to animations that videos that bring anatomy, physiology, and medical procedures to life. The data is provided from credible sources, and reviewed by a trustworthy team of experts, who are also medical doctors (MDs). This site is a great example of how the public now have access to clinical decision support systems such as the multi-system symptom checker. It shows that there are excellent sites available that meet high standards regarding quality and accuracy of data. This website is a valuable tool that puts nursing informatics into action and can be used by doctors, nurses, and patients alike. I would recommend this site to anyone for a resource that can be used to promote health, prevent illness, increase knowledge, and be used as a supplemental tool in any disease process. Although it is not a substitute for medical care, it is a great asset that provides quality, easily-accessible health information. ReferencesAlexa Internet, Inc. (2014). . Retrieved from on the Net Foundation. (2014). The health Website: WebMD Gateway is in compliance with the HONcode. Retrieved from , J. (2010). Busted: This popular "independent" health website is deceiving you. Retrieved from , S., Osmani, Z., Sharpe, A., & England, R. J. A. (2012). Quality of information available on the world wide web for patients undergoing thyroidectomy: Review.?The Journal of Laryngology and Otology,?126(2), 116-9. doi:. (2014a). Editorial policy. Retrieved from . (2014b). Health website accreditation. Retrieved from . (2014c). Noticias breves de salud. Retrieved from . (2014d). WebMD. Retrieved from . (2014e). 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