Current Trends and Future Challenges, GCSE Coursework Example

Introduction

Consumer health websites require an evaluation of their contents in order to determine if they meet consumer needs. Both WebMD and the Mayo Clinic offer substantial basic health information for a variety of conditions, from chronic health diseases to different forms of cancer. These websites, however, do not necessarily provide sufficient detail in some areas; therefore, consumers must rely upon the needs of their physicians in order to provide updated and accurate information regarding their health.

Analysis

Consumer websites must be wisely evaluated in order to determine if they provide sufficient information for use in addressing personal health. All age groups, including older adults, may utilize these websites for health information, but using these sites does not necessarily translate into effective results regarding patient health (Czaja eta.l, 2013). Patients must be provided with the context of the information along with the information itself in order to make effective decisions and to determine if they frame any guidance regarding their own health status (Goldberg et.al, 2011; Valdez et.al, 2014). Consumer health advocacy must include electronic health information as part of a larger framework to support patient health, even if this information may be cumbersome from time to time (Unknown Author). These factors represent an opportunity to examine the efficacy of a consumer health website and whether it has sufficient tools to promote positive health knowledge in patients (Soobrah & Clark, 2012).

Conclusion

Consumer health websites are part of the modern era of healthcare information; therefore, they require a critical evaluation in order to determine if they are effective in meeting patient needs without consequence. The information should not replace a visit to a physician to address health concerns, but it may provide basic knowledge for other issues that are of a non-urgent nature and that do not require significant medical attention and focus. The websites that were evaluated require total accuracy in the information that is provided in order to facilitate a positive patient education experience. Furthermore, consumers must be able to provide feedback regarding these sites so that their needs are fully met, and this may be accomplished through surveys and questionnaires to gauge interest in the sites.

References

Czaja, S. J., Sharit, J., Lee, C. C., Nair, S. N., Hernández, M. A., Arana, N., & Fu, S. H. (2013).

Factors influencing use of an e-health website in a community sample of older adults. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 20(2), 277-284.

Frustrated AMA calls for action plan on digital records. The Journal of Advanced Practice Nursing, retrieved from http://www.asrn.org/journal-advanced-practice-nursing/1215-frustrated-ama-calls-for.html

Goldberg, L., Lide, B., Lowry, S., Massett, H. A., O’Connell, T., Preece, J., … & Shneiderman, (2011). Usability and accessibility in consumer health informatics: current trends and future challenges. American journal of preventive medicine, 40(5), S187-S197.

Soobrah, R., & Clark, S. K. (2012). Your patient information website: how good is it?. Colorectal Disease, 14(3), e90-e94.

Valdez, R. S., Holden, R. J., Novak, L. L., & Veinot, T. C. (2014). Transforming consumer health informatics through a patient work framework: connecting patients to context. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, amiajnl-2014.