Paper Example. Critique Of A Health Care Website

On the Internet, health information is growing at a terrifying rate. Besides, the information offered by such websites could either be misleading or inaccurate, while some may be outdated. Unfortunately, there are few websites that can be regarded for the information which they give. While most customers lack the knowledge in healthcare to disregard or regard such details, they are vulnerable to accepting information, which would be given by such websites. This article aims to critique one of the healthcare websites, which provides information on cancer. The article will evaluate the source of information, how it is obtained, the type of funding, whether private or commercially funded and the validity and quality of the information supplied. Also, the article will look into the vulnerability of personal information.

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First, cancer is one of the deadliest diseases to attack the entire world. Every year, there are numerous counts of death due to cancer. Moreover, breast cancer has killed most of our women (Breast cancer - Symptoms and causes, 2020). While they try to get remedies from websites, most of them are misleading on what they can do and what to avoid. Just like magazines, websites need to be put together to compare information and gauge those that are accurate.

This article selects the Mayo Clinic website, which offers online consultations about diseases. Mayo Clinic has a physical address in the United States. It is one of the most reputable healthcare units providing healthcare services and imparting knowledge to students. The website is privately funded by its owners and is a non-profit organization committed to delivering clinical practices, research, and education (Breast cancer - Symptoms and causes, 2020). Since the owners of the Mayo Clinic have a physical address, information obtained can be said to be credible. For instance, they get their information from primary sources such as patients who visit and through their researches. As such, it can be assumed that the website provides credible information about diseases and how one can go about them. Aside from disease, the website offers information in healthy living, symptoms of all diseases and their conditions, procedures, and tests, supplements and drugs, scheduling appointments, insurance and billing, visitor and patient guide, and online patient services.

Concerning breast cancer, the website gives an in-depth analysis of the condition. The analysis is divided into four categories, symptoms and causes, treatment and diagnosis, doctors and departments, and care at Mayo Clinic (Breast cancer - Symptoms and causes, 2020). For offline readers, it is possible to download the complete information from the website.

First, the website gives an overview of the anatomy of the breast. Most websites forget to mention this since they assume each individual is aware of such information. In anatomy, the website gives a diagram representation of the breast cells, which are mostly attacked (Breast cancer - Symptoms and causes, 2020). The overview also gives a demographic cunt about cancers. For instance, it mentions that breast cancer is the second most diagnosed cancer in women after skin cancer. Additionally, there is a significant increase in the number of breast cancer survivors, according to the article.

The article further goes to list the types of breast cancer cases available. Such include male breast cancer, Angiosarcoma, lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS), inflammatory breast cancer, recurrent breast cancer, ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), Paget's disease of the breast and invasive lobular carcinoma (Breast cancer - Symptoms and causes, 2020). The website gives a reader a step-by-step analysis of cancer, unlike other websites. Today, people own websites to drive traffic. As such, they would offer shallow or wrong information about a disease.

On the other hand, humans like it easy, and websites, which have simplified information, would be their preferred source of information. Such websites offer information related to the disease and how it can be cured. Without background information about the disease, the information portrayed can be wrong.

Further, the website lists symptoms, which are related to cancer. Here, the writers give signs regardless of the type of cancer, which is mentioned. Some of the common symptoms include a lump or thickening of the breasts. Secondly, the shape size and appearance of the breasts significantly change (Breast cancer - Symptoms and causes, 2020). The website shows this in diagrams, relating how the nipple ought to look like and how it looks when breast cancer cells have attacked it. Thirdly, an individual experiences change around the breast, such as dimpling, and a newly inverted nipple is witnessed. Other symptoms include peeling, crusting, and scaling of the area around the nipple and redness of the skin around the breast. Such symptoms portray that the medical practitioners had first-hand information from patients and medical researchers, unlike other websites that copy and paste data (Breast cancer - Symptoms and causes, 2020). The website recommends for the individual to seek medical advice rather than offering medicines that can be used when such symptoms are visible.

The website further lists the causes of breast cancer. Here, the writers explain the inherited breast cancer and abnormal cancer cells that grow on an individual. The writers also list risk factors associated with breast cancer (Breast cancer - Symptoms and causes, 2020). Risk factors, in this case, include gender, age, personal history, family history, radiation exposure, obesity, and inherited genes, among others. The website wants to ensure that viewers get enough information related to breast cancer.

Anther section of the website is the prevention part. The use of diagrams to elaborate the breast cancer issues makes the website unique. The website gives common and biological ways of preventing breast cancer (Breast cancer - Symptoms and causes, 2020). Some of the conventional methods include regular visits and checkups, self-examination, exercise, and regulating drinking habits, among others. The healthy ways of prevention include exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, and limiting postmenopausal hormone therapy. The website also offers insights to women with high risks of contracting breast cancer.

Finally, the website finishes by advising readers to get more information from the clinic. Also, patients can get help from breast cancer chemoprevention and genetic testing (Breast cancer - Symptoms and causes, 2020). This information has been placed at the bottom of the page and regarded as more information. This means that the website has more to offer in regard to breast cancer.

While picking websites for reliable information, it is vital to consider the quality and validity of the information provided. Mayo Clinic is credible since it has a physical address. Perse, the website collects data from the clinic's catalog. Also, the website gives detailed information about breast cancer, illustrating clearly with diagrams.

Reference

Breast cancer - Symptoms and causes. Mayo Clinic. (2020). Retrieved 1 March 2020, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/breast-cancer/symptoms-causes/syc-20352470.