Evaluating a Website for Credibility

Introduction

The website selected to be discussed in this paper is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC-http://www.cdc.gov/).The CDC is the national health system that promotes health systems, research data, new onset of research, safety of the general population, and other life-threatening issues that can lead to death. The CDC operates the Department of Health and Human Services

Purpose of the website

It is the main online information channel for users, and it has credible, reliable health information on data and statistics, diseases, injury, work place safety, environmental health, traveler’s information and pertinent issues. The website is intended to provide valuable health and safety information to individuals about health, public health professionals, healthcare providers, researchers, policy makers, media, students, and educators (CDC 2014).

Search Engine

The search engine used to locate the website is the internet explorer. The domain of the website retrieved is www.cdc.gov (CDC, 2014).

Rationale

The reason why this website aroused this writers attention is the due its long history as a premier leader in advocating for public health issues, health promotion, prevention and alertness agencies. The site provides information relevant for family members, health professionals, immunizations, travelers, researchers, various communities and many others. This writer can clearly apply information in the practice setting and also recommend it to patients. The URL identified for the site is http://www.cdc.gov (CDC, 2014).

Authority about the Website

The website is the official government site operating under the Department of Health and Human Services, and one of its goal is to serve users with accurate, peer review and current scientific findings. The United States’ Office of Management and Budget sets the guidelines and standards for peer review. The organization has strict standards to ensure accurate and reliable research and information. The website list the credentials of the authors on the information on the articles retrieved (CDC, 2014).

Information about the Website

The CDC’s website has in place of information quality guidelines in order to maintain and provide users with high quality information. The Office and the Associate director of Science (OADS) and the Office of Scientific integrity focuses on implementing these guidelines, laws, policies related to the quality, integrity, ethics and morals of the science at CDC .The information on the site is revised and regularly updated with current research and peer reviewed information (CDC, 2014).

Objectivity of the Website

As aforementioned, CDC website is a government sponsored site and is part of the Department of Health and Human Services. The OADS establishes the guidelines and endorses peer review practices to ensure that funding for research and projects are based on fair, unbiased, and transparent review process. The organization aims to get an objective evaluation of scientific information from fellow scientists (CDC, 2014).

Ease of Navigation

The website is user friendly and easily navigated .The newly designed website is very friendly to those who are not technologically savvy, quick to download and has printer-friendly information easily accessible to those who need to print. Patients can print out such documents and discuss with their physician or they can use the information personally. This government site is regulated by several policies. Few of the policies noted are Plain policy Act and the Rehabilitation Act as a federal agency. These policies ensure that browsers can read and understand information and that the information is accessible to all people of any disability (CDC, 2014).

Privacy and Security Policies

The CDC site is regulated by the U.S government and protected by Title 18 of the U.S Code, web privacy policy and the HIPPA law. Unauthorized attempt to change information on the website may be dealt with the law of the land. The site is committed to maintaining the privacy of user’s information with respect to collection, use and disclosure of personally information. The site does not request personal identifiable information before browsing; however it does collect information about viewer’s time date of visit and pages reviewed. The data collected is for a short period and helps the site to collectively measure the number of visitors and improve the performance and experience. This government website does not disclose, give and sell any personal information about visitors unless required by law. Information provided to the site will not be given to third parties or private organizations. The website provides its users with unbiased, quality credible, peer reviewed information (CDC, 2014).

Empirical evidence

The CDC website is credible and recommendable to individuals, patients and professional about the health, environment, traveling, or simply to educate one’s self. One article retrieved from the site reviewed persistent decline in depression treatment after FDA issued a warning about the risk of suicide for pediatric patients taking antidepressants. The studying findings reported that physician visits did not increase there was also a large roll over to the adult population which was not the target of cautioning. The study recommended new policies to track the unintended consequences of reduced depression treatment (Libby, Orton, & Valuck 2009). The second article reviewed antimicrobial resistant pathogens associated with healthcare associated infections (HAIs) reported to the National Safety Network (NHSN) from 2009 -2010. The study surveyed the use of antimicrobials and the effectiveness and the results indicated that studies of the nature are very important and beneficial to the nursing profession.

Summary

The centers for disease and control provides very valuable resource to the nursing profession and it helps nurses with evidenced based information, data analysis and as a resource to nurses. First nurses are able to have enough access to any health care information and data that will help them with evidence based research and the practicability of the profession. Nursing research has developed over the years and based on the research today, nurses have stopped unhealthy practices and the use of standard precautions has been very beneficial to nurses. Hand washing for instance has saved lives and the use of antibiotic soaps have reduced the rate of infections drastically. Also, the use of the data from the CDC website is an important resource for nurse educators and researchers. The information gathered on this website is valuable tool that nursing researchers can use for comparative studies and educators can also use it for instructional purposes. Another important fact is that the CDC website has lifesaving information that nurses can refer to during major disasters. Through the department of health and human services nurses have access to a wide range of vital statistics.

In conclusion, the CDC website has been very beneficial to nurses and the general health care profession due to the accessibility to credible data and the enormous services offered to the entire population through research findings.

References

Libby, A. M., Orton, H. D., & Valuck, R. J. (2009). Persisting decline in depression treatment

after FDA warnings. Archives of general psychiatry, 66(6), 633-639

doi:10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2009.46.

Sievert, D. M., Ricks, P., Edwards, J. R., Schneider, A., Patel, J., Srinivasan, A.& Fridkin, S.

(2013). Antimicrobial-resistant pathogens associated with healthcare-associated

infections: summary of data reported to the National Healthcare Safety Network at the

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2009–2010. Infection Control and Hospital

Epidemiology, 34(1), 1-14 DOI: 10.1086/668770

http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/668770