Consumer health informatics (CHI) is an up and coming field that utilizes technology and the internet, to provide health information to the public, and enhance healthcare making decisions (Flaherty, Hoffman-Goetz, & Arocha, 2015). The public is becoming more involved in their own care by having access to healthcare information 24/7 (Hebda & Czar, 2005). Furthermore, they are relying on the fact that the information they are given is accurate and up to date. Therefore, it is extremely important that the consumers are able to evaluate and analyze credible websites. Below is an evaluation tool that will help my patients make informed decisions. Evaluating a Website Tool • Does the website end in .gov, .com, or .org? • Are there credible references cited and sources given? • Is the grammar and spelling of the website accurate? • Is the webpage associated with medical schools or medical centers? • Is the website regularly updated? (Thompson, 2012). • Does the website provide who compiled the information? (Thompson, 2012). • Does the website ask for credit card information? • Is the website trying to sell a product? (Thompson, 2012). • Does the website provide an address or other contact information? (Thompson, 2012). According to Thompson (2012), there are three main goals when delivering a health information service: • Improve knowledge and understanding of health concerns • Increase confidence in managing symptoms and adhering to treatment • Prevent illness and avoid the risks associated with health concerns At my facility I work with a patient population of twenty to thirty year old clients. They are often dealing with mental health issues and chronic diseases. I have researched three different websites to evaluate, tha... ... middle of paper ... ...anxiety, depression, suicide, stress, and abuse. For example, when exploring the anxiety information page, they offer insight on how to cope, quizzes to help identify anxiety, and treatment options. The website also provides feedback from other users, resources, and has a voluntary donation page, which helps fund the website. Just as important as it is for the health information website to be effective, the consumer must also be knowledgeable about how to retrieve this information. In order for consumers to be successful in effectively evaluating an information website, they must possess certain qualities. They must possess basic reading skills, be able to operate a computer, and be able to obtain and apply relevant information (Hebda & Czar, 2005). With improved consumer knowledge about healthcare, the public can enhance their overall health and lifestyle choices.
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 protected and how?
Encompassed within the boundaries of this research paper, I will outline the rationale of constructing and implementing a publicly accessible patient portal for a healthcare organization. I will examine the utility, purpose and the technology requirements. Furthermore I will identify key employee involvement and the project tasks to make it operational and conclude with the highly probable benefits that the organization can expect to profit from its use. Despite all of the challenges presented in this paper, the benefits of this project has the potential to provide the organization a substantial return on investment (ROI) as highlighted by Heath Bell when he articulated, “portals are expected to be a key conduit for engaging patients in their care and getting them important health care information as quickly as possible” (Bell. 2012)
WebMD is a health information service that provides regular health related advice and suggestions to its users. WebMD is collaborating with T...
Electronic health records (EHRs) Has improved the quality and safety of patient care and achieve real efficiencies in the healthcare delivery system throughout the years. EHRs are the tools through which physicians, nurses, and other staff enter, view, and share the information required to deliver high quality care. it is vital in clinical decision making for patients and physician; therefore, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services provides Healthcare industries with The Research-Based Web Design and Usability Guidelines. In the user-interface (UI) design community this is partially addressed through the establishment of interactive patterns and collection of building blocks that represent recurring solutions to common design problems.
McWay, D. (2014). Today's Health Information Management: An Integrated Approach. Cengage Learning. Retrieved from http:// www.kaplanvitalsource.com
Mostashari, F. (2013). Health IT policy committee: A public advisory body on health information technology to the national coordination for health IT. Retrieved February 18, 2014, from http://www.healthit.gov/sites/default/files/hitpc_transmittal_050313_pstt_recommendations.pdf
Technology is a driving force in our society. People can now manage their bank accounts, pay bills, and get their news with the click of the mouse. It only makes sense that the health care industry would join in on these web-based initiatives. More and more providers are using online patient portals as a means for communicating with patients and allowing them to have access to important health information. While patient portals are still in their emerging stages, positive results are being reported from patients and healthcare professionals alike. Online patient portals allow more effective communications between patients and their healthcare professionals by developing stronger, more utilized relationships and by creating a way to get information out to patients more efficiently. Through this enhanced communication there will be patients that are more actively engaged in their treatment, have stronger relationships with their healthcare professionals, and in many cases have improved medical conditions.
In 2006, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre designed a web site for patients enrolled in a clinical research trial (Curtis, Cheng, Rose, & Tsai, 2011). MyChart’s success has resulted from healthcare providers engaging patients in their own healthcare and utilizing electronic access to personal health information (Curtis et al., 2011). The biggest challenges stem from institutional and end-user adoption, usability, and trust in acute healthcare settings (Curtis et al., 2011). MyChart continues to respond to developmental challenges of adoption, feature designs and usability improvements, multi-site integration and service enabling, and the development of research areas (Curtis et al., 2011). Sunnybrook has experienced a positive change in
While HIE has been more than twenty years in the making, it has only recently gained the majority of its support. This is because, until the recent years, HIE success has been marginal when compared to its failures and shortcomings. HIE generally started in 1990 when the Hartford Foundation began its CHMIS initiative. The was the "Community Health Management Information System" that got its start from grants to several states and cities. CHMIS provided a point of reference for data to be collected and maintained. This data provided information on demographics, clinical data, and information divided geographically. CHMIS targeted data for the stakeholders who were the primary consumers and benefactors of the data assessments. Another function of CHMIS was to facilitate billing and determine patient eligibility for cost reductions, making CHMIS a transaction system. (J Am Med Inform Assoc, 2010 )
To evaluate the credibility of a website and support as a credible source for inclusion in a scholarly assignment, the student chose to evaluate www.CDC.gov. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is a component of the Department of Health and Human Services that conducts critical science and provides important health information that protects the nation against dangerous health threats. This website was chosen by the student for a personal and professional interest in health information provided by the CDC. A Google search was performed to locate the website domain CDC.gov, resulting in web address http://www.cdc.gov/. The credibility of the website is evaluated using specific criteria and supported by empirical evidence. Using examples, the importance of evaluating internet-based information for a professional nurse is discussed.
Health literacy is a term not widely understood by the general population. It is defined as “the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process and understand basic health information needed to make appropriate health decisions and services needed to prevent or treat illness,” (About health literacy, 2014). A person’s level of health literacy is based on their age, education level, socioeconomic standing, and cultural background. Patients with low health literacy have a more difficult time navigating the health care system. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, this group of patients may find it harder to find medical services and health care providers, fill out health forms, provide their complete medical history with their providers, seek preventative care, understand the health risks associated with some behaviors, taking care of chronic health conditions, and understanding how to take prescribed medications (About health literacy, 2014). It is to a certain extent the patient’s responsibility to increase their own health literacy knowledge. But to what extent can they learn on their own? Those working in the health field have been trained to navigate the health system and understand the medical terms. They have the knowledge and capability to pass on that understanding to their patients. Health care professionals have a shared responsibility to help improve patients’ health literacy.
Computers not only aid in the administration and organization of patient records, but in actual health care. The Internet has made a huge impact on the health care system. Health care on the Internet has become diverse and significantly present in the past two to three years. Throughout the years, Internet services for health care evolved. According to (Douglass K., 1997), during the first generation, uses of the Internet have been applications of information that describe products, and services that are available from health care providers. During the second generation, the Internet was used for transactions that involved electronic data exchanges, which includes purchasing prescription drugs. As technology advances, the third generation will involve the use of complex health management programs and the managing of clinical information.
When inquiring about a health condition on the internet, do internet users give up their expectations for privacy regarding their healthcare information? Although consumers may not expect the information they provide to get into the database of marketing firms, this is often exactly what happens. Consumer Relationship Management (CRM) software firms or service providers are a growing industry. The purpose of CRM software in the healthcare field, is to assist providers in identifying potential customers for a service based on information they have supplied. This information can be provided in a number of ways. In some cases, the consumer has knowingly supplied the information to the actual provider via an inquiry sent from the provider's website. In other cases the provider determines a marketing target based upon mining information in their own database by linking relationships which may help identify a potential need. Yet in another scenario, identification of a potential consumer is based on information they provided at another website, which was ...
University of Phoenix. (2014). Syllabus. Retrieved from University of Phoenix, HCS/320 Health Care Communication Strategies website.
Individuals, patients, caregivers, friends and family can access the following websites and research these links for support: