Running head: EVALUATING HEALTH INFO 1

Evaluating the Quality of Digital Health Information

Assignment 4

Athabasca University

NURS 322
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Evaluating the Quality of Digital Health Information

When people search the Internet for health information it can be overwhelming; it takes a

keen eye to decipher what is factual and what is merely opinion (United States Library Institute

of Medicine, 2012). The health related website of choice for critique is the Crohn’s and Colitis

Canada (CCC) website. The four aspects of the website that this paper will review are the

provider: who runs the site and why; who funds the website; the quality of the information found

on the site; and their privacy policy. The reasons that the above criteria are important when

evaluating a website will also be discussed.

The CCC website was chosen for critique because it provides an invaluable service to

people who have been diagnosed with Crohn’s and/or ulcerative colitis. Their mission is to find a

cure, through fundraising and research, and improve the lives of adults and children affected by

these diseases (Crohn’s & Colitis Canada, 2014). The intended audience of this website is

Canadians that have Crohn’s or colitis, as well as their family and friends. The website provides

brochures on topics such as medication options to manage disease, nutritional support, and

surgical options [in severe cases]; this is in addition to links for peer support groups, and

community resources that can be found across Canada (CCC, 2014). The site discusses the facts,

statistics and characteristics of each disease, signs and symptoms, risk factors, and testing and

treatment options (CCC, 2014).

Website Evaluation Tool

Based on the video from the United States Library Institute of Medicine, a website should

be evaluated based on four sets of criteria: the provider, the funding of the site, quality of

information found on the site, and privacy standards (United States Library Institute of Medicine,

2012). These areas are important to consider when researching health information on the Internet
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because, “your health could depend on it” (United States Library Institute of Medicine, 2012).

Quality health information is reviewed and posted by credible health professionals, has a clear

purpose, labels advertisements, explains the sources of data and research, is up to date, and will

not share its patrons personal information (United States Library Institute of Medicine, 2012).

Evaluation of the Website

Provider

This website is a volunteer based charity that is run by an extensive board of directors

that are elected by members throughout Canada (CCC, 2014). The board asserts priorities, sets

goals and policies, ensure that the foundation is accountable to stakeholders, and operates within

good governance (CCC, 2014). The website has a contact list that begins with the National office

information- mailing address, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail address; there is then

contact information for six regions that cover the country; there is separate contact information

for media inquiries. The larger regions of Canada have contact information for a regional

director, and each region has a calendar of events link.

Knowing who runs a website is useful for researching health information because it

differentiates if the information is from a credible source, and not just an opinion of the writer

(Medline Plus, 2015). The CCC website is a credible site for health information because they use

information from research completed by trusted medical professionals and through educational

institutions. They have provided a list of research endeavors that they support, along with the

amount of money they have invested. The website is forthcoming about companies that they

work with, and clearly states in their Impact of Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Canada 2012

report, “the acknowledgement of these companies does not constitute an endorsement of the

sponsoring organizations’ products or services” (Crohn’s and Colitis Canada, 2012).

Funding

Funding for Crohn’s and Colitis Canada is through donations and fundraising. The

website goes as far as to provide audited financial statements each year and they list their charity

registration number. Crohn’s and Colitis Canada has achieved the Imagine Canada accreditation

for their transparency and stringency in their operation standards (CCC, 2014). The

“advertisements” that the website has are for patient information; the newsletter, charity events,

and their media forums such as Facebook, and are labeled appropriately (CCC, 2014). There is

no sponsor information present on the website, but the educational brochures do recognize

support from companies that provide grant funding for research that led to the creation of the

brochure (CCC, 2014).

According to the National Center of Complimentary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)

(2014), knowing who provides funding for a website is important because funding can affect

what content is presented on the site, and what the providers wish to accomplish with the

information that is posted. The fact that the CCC provides its viewers with detailed audits of its

financial shows that they are open with their consumers and sponsors alike.

Quality

The information that is contained in the educational videos that are posted are written by

medical doctors as is the sites Impact of Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Canada 2012 report.

The Scientific and Medical Advisory Council provided the “bread and bones” of the CCC

irritable bowel disease (IBD) research institute, and it is their leadership that is helping the CCC

make their mission of a cure more possible; they also provide education to “stakeholders about

Crohn’s and Colitis and IBD” (CCC, 2014). Dr. Mark S. Silverberg is the primary board member

that reviews and selects information about Crohn’s and Colitis to be posted to the website. He is
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currently the chair for the Scientific and Medical Advisory council, and has been a

gastroenterologist since 1997 (CCC, 2014). The particulars that the website posts can be

validated by institutions such as the Mayo clinic, and the National Institute of Diabetes and

Digestive and Kidney Disease (NIDDKD) (Mayo clinic, 2015; National Institute of Diabetes and

Digestive and Kidney Disease, 2014 & 2016).

According to Medline Plus when reviewing a website for quality make sure that the

information can be verified by more than one source, monitor for unbelievable claims, and use

credible sources (2015). The information found on the CCC website can be verified be the Mayo

clinic as well as the NIDDKD website (Mayo clinic, 2014; NIDDKD, 2014; NIDDKD, 2016).

The CCC does not post unbelievable claims; all of the information that they use has been written

by knowledgeable physicians. Another indicator of quality is the currency of the information,

according to Medline Plus even a trustworthy website can be out of date, information should be

no more that 2-3 years old. The most recent date on the CCC website is 2014, and falls within

the 2-3 years that Medline Plus offers.

Privacy

The CCC website has an 11 principle privacy policy statement that indicates their

commitment to accountability, providing reasons for collection of personal information,

safeguarding personal information and what is done if there is a privacy breach; to name a few

areas the principles cover. The CCC website indicates “use and disclosure of information

gathered through the website” i.e. business purposes, communication, third party service

providers.

Knowing a websites privacy policy is important because it tells you if they are a

trustworthy establishment. The NCCIH reports that before sharing personally identifiable
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information, consumers should become familiar with a websites’ privacy policy and only give

out information if they fully understand what it will be used for (NCCIH, 2014). The CCC

website indicates in their privacy policy that they do not require personal information from

patrons to review the website, and any personal information offered to them is at the consumers

discretion. They clearly indicate when “certain functionalities may require registration” (CCC,

2014).

Recommendations for the Website

The Crohn’s and Colitis Canada website is a valuable resource for patients with IBD and

is recommended to support patients and family; and assist health practitioners in learning about

and coping with IBD. The website as a whole provides a wealth of information for patient

education and support, and uses terms that a layperson can understand. Medical terminology can

be overwhelming, and understanding a disease is important for health literacy and information

seeking (Yong-Mi, 2015, p. 231). If a person were using this site for research purposes it should

be used with caution because it required sifting to obtain facts on the editors of the information

that is posted. The editorial board could be better laid out.

The criteria obtained from the United States Library Institute of Medicine, is assistive in

evaluating quality of the health information because it forces users to put thought into their web

searches and question what they find because not all sites are created equal (Medline Plus, 2015).

The criteria-provider, funding, quality, and privacy- should be applied to any health information

websites because there isn’t a set standard that all sites have to meet, and regardless of a persons’

education level, these standards are easy to understand. Increasing patients’ health literacy is

important because it helps patients understand their health conditions and makes Internet

searches work to their benefit, and can guide people to make well-informed decisions.
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References

Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. (2014). Retrieved from:

[Link]

Mayo Clinic. (2015). Diseases and Conditions. Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Retrieved from:

[Link]

disease/basics/symptoms/con-20034908

Medline Plus. (2014). Living with a Chronic Illness- dealing with feelings. Retrieved from:

[Link]

Medline Plus. (2015). Medline Plus Guide to Healthy Web Surfing. Retrieved from:

[Link]

National Center for Complementary and Integrating Health. (2014). Finding and Evaluating

Online Resources. Retrieved from: [Link]

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. (2014). Digestive Diseases:

Ulcerative Colitis. Retrieved from: [Link]

topics/digestive-diseases/ulcerative-colitis/pages/[Link]

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. (2014). Digestive Diseases:

Crohn’s Disease. Retrieved from: [Link]

topics/digestive-diseases/crohns-disease/Pages/[Link]

United States Library Institute of Medicine. (2012). Evaluating Internet health information: A

tutorial from the National Library of Medicine. Retrieved from

[Link]

Yong-Mi, K. (2015). Is seeking health information online different from seeking general
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information online? Journal of Information Science, 41(2), 228-241. Doi

10.1177/0165551514561669