Healthcare Informatics
Patients are becoming technologically savvy. The use of the Smartphone has made accessing information as simple as tapping on a downloaded application. For this discussion, please select a disease or condition and research online support groups and websites or applications you would recommend for patient education. Consider the information provided by USA.gov related to evaluating health information on the Internet (https://ods.od.nih.gov/Health_Information/How_To_Evaluate_Health_Information_on_the_Internet_Questions_and_Answers.aspx)
Please respond to each of the following prompts:
Choose 3 sites or applications (one must be a support group) and explain what the critical components are that you used to evaluate them.
Explain from a nursing perspective the benefits of each site and also what improvements are needed.
How do these sites or applications (one of which is a support group) support diverse and hard-to-reach populations?
Sample Answer
Since diabetes is a chronic condition requiring ongoing management and patient education, it’s a good choice for exploring online resources. Here are three options, considering the USA.gov guidelines for evaluating health information:
1. Website: American Diabetes Association (ADA) – https://diabetes.org/
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Evaluation: The ADA is a reputable non-profit organization with a .org domain. The site clearly identifies its purpose and provides contact information. The information is current, with references to scientific studies.