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The Alzheimer's Association

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Evaluation of Websites Credibility
The Alzheimer's Association
Gwendolyn M. Spong
Chamberlain College of Nursing
NUR 500

The website I decided to investigate and assess on its credibility is the Alzheimer's Association site (http://www.alz.org). The Alz.org is a site which offers valuable information to those affected and their loved ones as well as extensive research in the hopes of eliminating this disease. I have taken care of many patients that suffer from dementia and they as well as their families have a special place in my heart; therefore I decided to take a closer look at the Alzheimer's Association website. I used Google search engine to find a government or organization website related to Alzheimer's and the number two result in my search was Alz.org. The domain of the website for Alz.org is the ending .org which indicates that the website is operated by an organization and more specifically the Alzheimer's Association is a non-profit organization (Roberts, 2010). This paper will evaluate the Alzheimer's Association websites credibility including the sites authority, information, objectivity, ease of navigation, privacy and security policies; in addition, it will cover reasons for professional nurses to assess information on the internet and how the information from the website can be helpful to them. Today anybody has the ability to create a website and have their thoughts and opinions displayed to the public, however, we have to ask ourselves is the information credible? Not necessarily for that reason we have to evaluate the authors credentials in order to assure that they are experts in the subject matter (Roberts, 2010). According to Alz.org (2014) the content on the website is written by Alzheimer's Association staff members and then carefully reviewed by subject matter experts which include physicians, researchers and clinicians. Next we will evaluate the websites information to assure its accuracy, currency, readability, and comprehensiveness of the information (CCN, 2012). The sites accuracy has been proven in which that the information posted is reviewed by a board of medical professionals. The information displayed on the site is current which can be verified by looking at the bottom of the site to see when it was last reviewed. According to Alz.org (2014) the sites intended audience includes caregivers, people living with dementia and their families, as well as health care professionals and researchers. The information is presented in a way that it is comprehendible by a variety of different people regardless of their age, background, and education levels. According to CCN (2012) a websites objectivity can be determined by looking for sponsors on the site which could indicate bias in how the information is presented. The Alzheimer's Association does not accept paid advertising instead the organization is supported by donations and fundraising only; therefore no bias is found on their site (Alz.org, 2014). Another criteria to consider when evaluating a website is its construction and ease of navigation (Roberts, 2010). My first impression of Alz.org was that the layout of the site is well organized and the graphics, fonts, and colors are appropriate rather than distracting. The different headings and titles are easy to identify and most importantly the links are functioning. The fact that the website did not have any annoying pop-ops or advertisements was also rather enjoyable. The last criteria to consider when assessing a website is its privacy and security policies (Hasan & Abuelrub, 2011). As I navigated the site I did not have to create an account in order to login or view information; in addition the website did not harass me for my personal information like others do. Under the websites "About Us" tab the Alzheimer’s Association stated that they are committed to protecting the visitors privacy when visiting the site and that they do not sell or trade personal information to any third parties (Alz.org, 2014). If personal information is given by the visitor then it is only used to improve the site, provide the visitor with a better experience, and to respond to visitors questions, and process their online donations (Alz.org, 2014). After evaluating the website Alz.org using the five different criteria I would consider the site to be credible and an appropriate resource for information related to Alzheimer's disease. The website has proven its authority and currency by providing up-to-date information reviewed by experts including physicians, researchers and clinicians (Roberts, 2010). Alz.org has verified that there is no prejudice in how the information is presented by sharing that the organization is non-profit and no paid advertisement takes place (Alz.org, 2014). Next the organization has created its website in an organized manner which makes it user friendly and easy to navigate for the visitor. Lastly, the site assures the visitors private information is handled carefully as well as the site will not share the visitors information to a third party. This fulfills the final criteria which is the privacy and security policy according to Hasan & Abuelrub (2011). A professional nurse has to evaluate the information on a website in order to firstly advance their own knowledge and secondly to educate their patients and families. Nurses are lifelong learners and in order to provide the best and up to date patient care we have to be able to review information on the internet appropriately. Patients and their families are becoming more involved in their health care and a great source of information for them is the internet. According to Anderson (2008) the internet can be a blessing as well as a curse especially for our patients and their family members due to the amount of information available on the net. Therefore, nurses have to be able to educate their patients on how to find dependable and current resources in order for them to accurately research their conditions. The Alzheimer's Association website gives nurses the ability to learn more about this form of dementia and share it with the world. Nurses can use the information provided on the website to teach and assist affected patients and families as well as to raise general awareness about Alzheimer's disease. The website provides general information regarding the disease including signs and symptoms, seven different stages, diagnosis, treatment and care options (Alz.org, 2014). In addition, nurses can use the website to link patients and their families to support resources including a 24/7 Helpline, message boards, and local Alzheimer's Association Chapters (Alz.org, 2014). Finally, nurses can help raise awareness by participating in local events such as their annual walk or by volunteering at fundraisers in order to raise money for their research department. In conclusion, it is vital for everybody to understand that the information posted on the internet is not always proper and reliable. For that reason it is important for us to teach others how to navigate the internet in order to find credible websites to use as resources. In our teachings we also have to include the five criteria which should always be applied when exploring new websites. The five criteria again include the websites authority, information, objectivity, ease of navigation, and lastly privacy and security policies (Roberts, 2010). After evaluating the website I believe that the Alzheimer's Association was successful in creating their organization website since they met all five criteria without any troubles.

References

Alz.org. (2014). Alzheimer's Association. Retrieved from http://www.alz.org/
Anderson, A., & Klemm, P. (2008). The Internet: Friend or Foe When Providing Patient Education?. Clinical Journal Of Oncology Nursing, 12(1), 55-63. doi:10.1188/08.CJON.55-63
Chamberlain College of Nursing. (2012). NR 500 Foundational concepts & applications: Week 2 lesson. St. Louis, MO: Online publication.
Hasan, L., & Abuelrub, E. (2011). Assessing the quality of web sites. Applied Computing and Informatics, 9(1), 11-29. doi:10.1016/j.aci.2009.03.001
Roberts, L. (2010). Health information and the internet: The 5 Cs website evaluation tool. British Journal of Nursing, 19(5), 322-325.

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