E- Website Critique

Assignment 3: Website Critique

Information found on the Internet can vary substantially in terms of its quality. The purpose of this assignment is to help you systematically evaluate the quality of website information and determine its usefulness in guiding your own practice, or the health-related decisions of clients.

Select a health-related website that is of interest to you and/or to the clients in your workplace. Use the criteria described in Unit 9 (Consumer Health Informatics) for determining validity of health information on the web; include other relevant supportive literature; and critique the quality of the information found on that website. Think critically about each criterion listed and why it is deemed to be important. For each criterion, ask yourself, “So what?” More specifically, consider the following:

    Why is this criterion important?
    What are the assumptions underlying the question posed?
    How does this criterion assist the user in evaluating the quality of the health information on the website?
    Would you apply the criterion with equal rigor regardless of the underlying intent of the website? Why or why not?
    If not, which of the criteria do you consider to be of most importance? Of least importance? Provide rationale for your responses.

It is not sufficient to simply state that the website does or does not meet a specific criterion. Consider also how the quality of the information on the website is affected by its ability (or failure) to comply with the stated criteria. In other words, your critique should address the preceding questions and provide a balanced view in discussing the strengths, limitations, and areas for improvement of the website.
Evaluation Criteria for Assignment 3

    Provide clear rationale for the selection of the website to be evaluated
    Include a brief summary of the intended audience and kind(s) of information available on the selected website
    Describe the website evaluation tool and reference content on its background, purpose and use
    Include a summary of your assessment for all criteria contained in the evaluation tool when used in the evaluation of the selected website
    Articulate a decision with rationale for recommending/not recommending the website
    Provide evidence of application of course concepts from Unit 9 with references to sources (e.g., journal articles, web-based materials) beyond those offered in the course materials
    Demonstrate scholarly format including:
        4-5 pages in length, excluding title page and Reference list
        Scholarly language and professional tone
        Correct grammar, spelling and punctuation
        Effective introduction and conclusion
    Include accurate APA (7th edition) formatting including:
        Title page, headings, and subheadings
        Reference citations and reference list
** Please incorporate Unit 9 reading and utilize the reference listed from the unit. Make sure to use your own reference aside from the one from the unit reading**

UNIT 9

Unit Learning Outcomes

After completing Unit 9, you will be able to meet or exceed the following unit learning outcomes as you:

    define health literacy;
    explore various technology-based approaches to consumer health information;
    search the Internet for health-related information; and
    critically appraise information found on the Internet.

Learning Activities and Resources
Learning Activity 1:  Understanding health literacy

Earlier in the course, you considered the differences between computer and information literacy and how to enhance your skills in relation to both. In this unit, we build on that knowledge and introduce the concept of health literacy.

Health literacy is defined as the “ability to access, comprehend, evaluate and communicate information in a way to promote, maintain and improve health in a variety of settings across the life course” (Public Health Agency of Canada [PHAC], 2014, ¶1). In Canada, 60% of adults and 88% of seniors are not considered health literate and as such, would have difficulty in using health information in their day-to-day lives. This might include health information made available in healthcare facilities, grocery stores, retail outlets, and schools, or through the media (PHAC, 2014).

At this time, reconfirm your understanding of health literacy. How does this differ from information literacy? Type the term into your web browser; refine your search as required and select resources to review. For example, how does the World Health Organization define health literacy?

Consider the following questions:

    What is the relationship between literacy, health literacy, and information technology skills?
    Can one exist without the others? If so, how?
    How would you rate yourself in relation to each of these competencies?
    How can communication competencies advance health literacy in persons seeking health information?

Reading 1

A useful resource is found in Reading 1 where core communication competencies for nurses are discussed in relation to health literacy and client-centered care. While the information is based on the American nursing context, the principles and practices offered are transferable to a Canadian context.
Davis Boykins, A. (2014). Core communication competencies in patient-centered care. ABNF Journal, 25(2), 40-45.

Learning Activity 2: Searching for health information on-line

Increasingly, consumers are seeking health information on-line. Mobile devices, such as tablets and smartphones have extended access to the Internet, meaning that consumers can access on-line resources at a moment’s notice. The following three readings offer insights into the frequency and reasons that individuals seek health information on-line. As you review these resources, develop a list of nursing actions that you would take to support consumers who need to access valid and reliable health information.
Reading 2

In Reading 2, research conducted by the Pew Research Center on how clients and caregivers seek health information is contained in a PowerPoint presentation.
Rainie, L. (2013, October 10). E-patients and their hunt for health information.

Reading 3

In this reading, researchers consider what differences are found when individuals seek health information on-line compared to seeking other types of information. Focus your attention on the 10 hypotheses tested in the research. In contrast, the research in Reading 4 focuses on college students’ use of the Internet to access health information.
Yong-Mi, K. (2015). Is seeking health information online different from seeking general information online? Journal of Information Science, 41(2), 228-241. Doi 10.1177/0165551514561669

Reading 4
Rennis, L., McNamara, G., Seidel, E., & Shneyderman, Y., (2015). Google it! Urban community college students’ use of the Internet to obtain self-care and personal health information. College Student Journal, 49(3), 414-426.

Learning Activity 3: Appraising the quality of health information found on the Internet

Tools are available to support nurses, other health professionals, and health care consumers to access valid and reliable health information on-line. The following two videos provide two different approaches for evaluating health information.
Video 1
United States Library Institute of Medicine. (2012). Evaluating Internet health information: A tutorial from the National Library of Medicine.

Video 2
Health On the Net. (2012). Navigate safely – A video guide by the Health On the Net Foundation.

This three-page document will help bring your chosen website into compliance with the eight principles of the HONcode.
Health On the Net. (2020). HonCode guidelines.

After you have reviewed the two videos, revisit the list of nursing actions you developed earlier in this unit. Compare your actions to the tools described in the video resources.
Optional Conference Forum

If you wish, you may join the Unit 9 Forum and share your understanding of the role of nurses in supporting consumers in their quest towards accessing health information on-line. What nursing actions have you found most effective in this regard?  Guidelines for posting to the conference forums are found in Unit 1.
Assignment 3: Thinking Ahead

Review the requirements for Assignment 3, which is to be completed after Unit 10. At this point you should have confirmed your topic and will find that the content of this unit is central to that assignment. It is to your advantage to review the recommended readings and reflect on the questions posed and to complete the exercises presented in each unit.

Note: Students in NURS 322 are not permitted to submit all of their course assignments at the same time. You are expected to review the feedback provided by your tutor on each of your assignments and to incorporate that feedback into your subsequent assignments.
References
Unit 9: Consumer Health Informatics
Davis Boykins, A. (2014). Core communication competencies in patient-centered care. ABNF Journal, 25(2), 40-45.

Health On the Net. (2012). Navigate safely – A video guide by the Health On the Net Foundation.

Health On the Net. (2020). HonCode guidelines.

Public Health Agency of Canada. (2014, April 29). About health literacy.

Rainie, L. (2013, October 10). E-patients and their hunt for health information.

Rennis, L., McNamara, G., Seidel, E., & Shneyderman, Y., (2015). Google it! Urban community college students’ use of the Internet to obtain self-care and personal health information. College Student Journal, 49(3), 414-426.

United States Library Institute of Medicine. (2012). Evaluating Internet health information: A tutorial from the National Library of Medicine.

Yong-Mi, K. (2015). Is seeking health information online different from seeking general information online? Journal of Information Science, 41(2), 228-241. Doi 10.1177/0165551514561669