Healthfinder.gov: Evaluating the Credibility of a Website Essay

Introduction

The targeted website for this exercise is Healthfinder.gov. The link for this organization is “www.healthfinder.gov”. The organization uses its website to offer the best ideas and tips to many people in the United States. Health Finder (HF) is a government organization that provides meaningful ideas and resources in order to ensure every citizen stays healthy. Google was used to locate this website. This search engine displayed the targeted results. Google’s domain name is google.com.

On the other hand, Health Finder’s domain name is “healthfinder.gov”. Medline and CINAHl were also used to get the required information. The above website offers useful health information and discussions to different individuals. Healthfinder.gov presents useful discussions and ideas from different professionals such as scholars, caregivers, patients, and nurses. Healthfinder.gov offers adequate concepts to many readers in order to support their health goals.

Analysis of the Website

The targeted website provides useful information, ideas, and articles to the reader. A website’s authority “refers to the effectiveness, efficiency, and trustworthiness of the information availed to different readers” (Solis, 2010, p. 89). Healthfinder.gov presents powerful evidence-based arguments and discussions to the reader.

This approach makes it possible to offer the best health outcomes. This organization describes current laws and policies in order to promote the best health practices. This approach has availed numerous ideas to many people. Most of the articles and discussions are written by professionals who have the best expertise in different fields.

Some of these fields “include health, medicine, nature, law, and science” (Solis, 2010, p. 84). The information presented by these professionals covers a wide range of areas such as human health and medicine (Levin, Keefer, Marren, Lauder, & Sobolewski, 2010). Every reader can embrace these practices in order to achieve the best health outcomes.

Medical practitioners can acquire new ideas from this website. The practice will support their career goals. This approach will produce the best health outcomes. This organization “gets a high score for its objectivity” (Solis, 2010, p. 89). Health Finder (HF) supports its articles using evidence-based arguments and credible researches.

This approach makes the website less biased. Healthfinder.gov also contains timely articles, discussions, and opinions to its readers (Levin et al., 2010). The institution publishes quality articles from professional scholars. Most of the presented articles are obtained from different peer-reviewed journals. This approach makes the website meaningful and informative.

The layout of this website makes it easier for every visitor to access every article. Healthfinder.gov presents several options and suggestions to the viewer. This site also provides a “search option” to ensure every visitor gets the best information. The organization also offers “weekly newsletters on health issues such as allergy, asthma, sex, women, heart disease, cancer, and diabetes” (Levin et al., 2010, p. 121). Every visitor will get the relevant information from this website.

Healthfinder.gov also offers effective security policies and privacy measures. The agency also protects every person’s information and data. Healthfinder.gov also offers appropriate terms and conditions to safeguard the rights of every person. The organization presents the best security options to different users (Tao, Freeman, & Evashwick, 2010). For instance, every user “can subscribe to E-news without having his or her private data disclosed” (Tao et al., 2010, p. 166).

Credibility of the Website

A credible website should present quality data to every reader. To begin with, HF offers a wide range of newsletters and articles. These articles are written by professionals who have a good understanding of different healthcare fields. The articles offer evidence-based arguments and ideas to every visitor. This approach makes it easier for different caregivers to improve their healthcare practices (Marco et al., 2012). Different agencies manage the content presented by Health Finder to its readers. This approach makes the website relevant to different readers.

Healthfinder.gov offers useful updates in order to support the changing needs of different visitors. For instance, healthfinder.gov is coordinated by different agencies such as the National Health Information Center (NHIC) and the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP).

Most of the scholarly articles present useful ideas and concepts that can promote the nature of healthcare practice. Healthfinder.gov presents credible articles and discussions to different readers. This initiative has made HF one of the best sources of health information and advice. Nurses should therefore use the website in order to achieve the best medical goals (Tao et al., 2010).

Why Professional Nurses Should Evaluate the Information Found on the Internet

Medical practitioners and nurses should analyze every article on the internet. The internet is managed by individuals who might lack the best knowledge. This issue explains why “the internet can become a source of unprofessional information” (Solis, 2010, p. 89). Nurses should ensure every online article is acceptable and valid. Healthcare providers “should also examine whether the targeted information is evidence-based or peer-reviewed” (Solis, 2010, p. 89). This fact explains why medical practitioners should evaluate every discussion on the internet.

Caregivers should use the above website in order to improve their competencies. To begin with, nurses can use HF in order to improve their practices. HF will equip them with evidence-based concepts and ideas. Such nurses will be able to support the changing needs of their patients. This organization presents useful ideas that can equip nurses with new medical concepts and ideas.

Nurses can gain new ideas from this website in order to support their clients. This practice will produce the best health outcomes (Solis, 2010). Healthfinder.gov covers “numerous fields such as nutrition, health, environment, diet, nutrition, and social welfare” (*).

Nurses can also use this website to familiarize themselves with different ethical frameworks. This knowledge will support their medical practices. This approach can ensure every nurse becomes a competent provider of quality care. Medical practice is “governed by different legal requirements and policies” (Solis, 2010, p. 891).

Such policies make it easier for nurses and medical practitioners to support the health needs of their patients (Marco et al., 2012). Healthfinder.gov also offers timely updates. This approach encourages more people to embrace the best healthcare policies. It is agreeable that every healthcare professional can benefit from this website.

Concluding Statements

Healthfinder.gov is a very resourceful website. This credible website presents evidence-based ideas and arguments that can improve the nature of nursing practice. Medical practitioners should also ensure the information obtained from different online sources is credible. Nurses and caregivers should embrace the best practices and ideas in order to achieve their goals (Marco et al., 2012). Nurses can therefore acquire new skills and ideas from this website.

The above ideas encourage nurses to improve their nursing philosophies. Healthfinder.gov also presents the best ethical considerations and legal approaches. This knowledge can support the health needs of many people. Caregivers and citizens should use similar websites in order to achieve the best health outcomes.

Reference List

Levin, R., Keefer, J., Marren, J., Lauder, B., & Sobolewski, S. (2010). Evidence-Based Practice Improvement: Merging 2 Paradigms. Journal of Nursing Care Quality, 25(2), 117-126.

Marco, C., Moskop, J., Schears, R., Stankus, J., Bookman, K., Padela, A.,…Byrant, E. (2012). The Ethics of Health Care Reform: Impact on Emergency Medicine. Ethics of Health Care Reform, 1(1), 461-468.

Solis, K. (2010). Ethical, Legal, and Professional Challenges Posed by “Controlled Medication Seekers” to Healthcare Providers. American Journal of Clinical Medicine, 7(2), 86-92.

Tao, D., Freeman, M., & Evashwick, C. (2010). Evidence-based policy and practice on community benefit: information support for developing a bibliography. Journal of the Medical Library Association, 98(2), 164-167.