Evaluation of Websites on Alzheimer’s Disease
Introduction
Alzheimer’s disease has increasingly become a major health concern for healthcare professionals. This arises from the fact that is no known cure for the disease (Nee 2013). Thus, the disease presents significant health challenges to both healthcare providers and caregivers. The internet has become one of the notable sources of information related to Alzheimer’s disease. Different websites have been developed in an effort to provide information on how to improve the quality of life for patients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Some of the notable websites include the Alzheimer’s Society and the Global Healing Centre. This essay entails an evaluation of the two websites. The evaluation compares and contrasts the two websites with reference to the authors of the content, the validity of the claims made, and the identification of the stakeholders likely to benefit from the website.
Evaluation
The Alzheimer’s Society website is developed by the Alzheimer’s society in London. The Alzheimer’s Society is registered as a company limited by guarantee as a charity organisation in the UK. On the other hand, the Global Healing Centre website is owned and developed by Dr. Edward F. Group III. Since its inception, in 1998, the website has largely focused on providing different clients with relevant information on different health-related issues including Alzheimer’s disease (Global Healing Centre 2015).
The information provided on the two websites is characterised by varying degrees of validity and reliability. This assertion arises from the fact that the two websites have provided the varying level of information regarding the website’s authorship. The validity of the content on the Global Health Centre website is characterised by a high degree of validity compared to the content in the Alzheimer’s Society website. This arises from the fact that the Global Healing Centre website provides comprehensive information regarding the author’s background and credentials. The website outlines Dr. Edward F. Group III as a renowned scholar with reference to natural healing methods having studied the subject of natural healing for over 20 years. The website further provides information on the author’s educational background, personal and professional memberships, seminars and events attended (Global Healing Centre 2017). On the contrary, the authorship of the Alzheimer’s Society website is not as explicit as that of the Global Healing Centre. However, information on authorship of research projects hosted under the Alzheimer’s Society website is provided.
Evans (2017) asserts that ‘a website that does not identify its author has very little credibility as a resource’ (p. 138). Additionally, any website that provides information on a particular issue by presenting empirical research results, theories, and arguments that claim to be the findings of a research study without providing the author’s credentials and background significantly reduces its credibility (Evans 2017). Despite the fact that the information provided on the Alzheimer’s Society website is obtained from different professionals, the credentials of the professionals contributing to the website are not provided, which significantly affects its reliability. Moreover, the Alzheimer’s Society website provides information on Alzheimer’s disease from two main perspectives The first, dimension entails the professional dimension while the second perspective relates to information on experiences by Alzheimer’s patient’s caregivers (Alzheimer’s Society 2017).
The inclusion of opinions from healthcare professionals and caregivers enhances the validity of the information. On the contrary, the Global Healing Centre website specifically provides information on Alzheimer’s disease from a professional perspective. Similarly, the information on Alzheimer’s disease provided in the Global Healing Centre such as the article '5 herbs and spices for dementia' by Dr Edward Group, which advocates on use of turmeric as one of the herbs that can help manage Alzheimer’s is supported by a scientific study on ‘The effect of curcumin (tumeric) on Alzheimer’s disease; an overview’ by Shrikant Mishra and Kalpana Palanivelu (Mishra & Palanivelu 2008). Similarly, the information provided by the Alzheimer’s Society can be validated by the numerous research projects on Alzheimer’s disease that are funded by the Society (Alzheimer’s Society 2017).
In spite of the above differences, the content of the two websites on Alzheimer’s disease is very relevant to the target audience. This arises from the fact that the information provided through the website is progressively updated hence improving its relevance. For example, the two websites continuously issue press releases and updates on different aspects related to Alzheimer’s disease. By periodically updating the content of their websites, the website owners/authors contribute to significant improvement in the accuracy and relevance of the websites’ content. Evans (2017) asserts that the timeliness of an online publication is critical in determining its accuracy and hence its usefulness.
The information contained in the two websites is very valuable to different audiences that include health care providers such as doctors, nurses, and caregivers. By using the information provided on the website, these stakeholders can significantly enhance the efficacy with which care is provided to Alzheimer’s’ patients hence improving their quality of life.
Conclusion
Evaluation of the two websites indicates that they are characterised by varying degrees of credibility, and content and adopt varying perspectives in providing additional knowledge on Alzheimer’s disease. However, the information contained in the two websites on Alzheimer’s’ disease is credible. The credibility of the information is enhanced by the integration of both professional and non-professional views.
References
Alzheimer’s Society: Alzheimer’s Society unveils engaging new brand in move to make dementia impossible to ignore . 24 Jan. 2017. Web. 30 Jan. 2017.
Evans, J 2017, New perspectives on the internet, Cengage Learning, London.
Global Healing Centre: 5 herbs and spices for dementia. 5 Oct. 2015. Web. 30 Jan. 2017.
Mishra, S & Palanivelu, K 2008, ‘The effect of curcumin /turmeric on Alzheimer’s disease; an overview’, Annals of Indian Academy of Neurology, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 1-19.Nee, P 2013, The key facts on Alzheimer’s disease; everything you need to know about Alzheimer’s disease, The Internationalist, London.
