Navigating ADHD Information: A Critical Evaluation of a Healthcare Website - Report Example

The paper reviews the website that provides information on ADHD disorder. The criteria used to review the website include the accuracy, coverage, and authority of the information provided by the website. The review seeks to find out whether the website meets the standards for websites that provide healthcare-related information. Attention-HyperActive Disorder can be frustrating for young children and their parents, so "knowing how to help a kid with ADHD is empowering to all" (ADHD Childhood, 2019).

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The audiences rank a disease or disorder website as effective based on its accuracy, coverage, and authority. The ADHD Childhood website meets the first criteria of coverage as it contains information regarding Attention-deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Audiences of such a website trust that the information they obtain from the source regarding the disease or the disorder is true. They expect to get information such as the description of the disorder, its causes, signs and symptoms, the prevalence, and diagnosis and treatment options (ADHD Childhood, 2019). This website has most of the information that the audiences expect to get, but it lacks information regarding the causes of the disorder as well as interventions for children diagnosed with the disorder. The website coverage also entails the identification of the target audience, which is present on this website.

The second criterion for evaluating a website is accuracy which means that the audience expects that the information they get from a website is factual and can be verified through another source. This, therefore, means that the information published on a disease or disorder website should not be based on the author's opinions but rather on the research carried out or information that has been verified by healthcare professionals. The ADHD Childhood website contains information that can be verified in another source (ADHD Childhood, 2019). The website is also accurate as it has no grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, or errors of typographical nature.

The third criterion for evaluating an internet source such as a website the authority. The target audiences for a website expect to see the author or authors of a website. There should be a way of verifying whether the author, organization, or company is legitimate. The website should include not only the names of the authors but also the credentials of the author(s). For websites publishing information on diseases and disorders, the authors should be medical professionals.

The website lacks the authority to provide information about ADHD by not including the author of the content. The site provides information regarding ADHD disorder in a manner that readers will be able to easily access the information they need to know about the disease. The criteria for providing both written and audio is an excellent idea because the audio content makes it easy for people to access the content of the information (ADHD Childhood, 2019). There are no authors present at the websites; hence the content of the websites lacks the authenticity that the information is provided by a qualified person with a medical background. Health information is sensitive, and therefore the website should have included the author of the content on ADHD disorder.

The website provides information on ADHD disorder in children for parents and caregivers to know how the Disorder affects children. The website has different web pages that contain different information for different audiences. The website is owned by TAKEDA a pharmaceutical company (ADHD Childhood, 2019). The website does not meet the criteria set on authority, accuracy, and coverage are not met because all three standards set and not fully included in the content of the website. The coverage criteria need to be added where different aspects of the disease need to be covered such as the treatment options that are available for patients.

The website that provides healthcare-related information needs to be linked with a health management body or organization that controls information on public health. The website does not reference where the information provided comes from. Health information is required to be verified by bodies that collect health information from healthcare professionals (ADHD Childhood, 2019). The information provided needs to be accurate to ensure that it does not misguide the readers. The author of the article needed to indicate that the information provided is accurate and has been verified by healthcare professionals.

Websites that provide healthcare-related information such as ADHD disorder need to include all information related to the disease to ensure people know the facts of the disease and deal with the myths that concern the disease. The website under review needs to add more information that can help parents with children living with the disorder know the best practices to embrace in handling the children. The website is designed in a manner that it is easier for the readers to navigate and get the information that they are looking for. More information needs to be added to make the readers understand the ADHD disorder. Healthcare websites need to be updated regularly with the latest data regarding disease to remain relevant and meet healthcare standards.

References

ADHD Childhood. (2019). Supporting a Child with ADHD - Parents & Caregivers. Adhdchildhood.com. Retrieved 3 October 2020, from https://www.adhdchildhood.com/adhd-parent-caregiver-support.

ADHD Childhood. (2019). Your Resource for ADHD in Children: ADHDchildhood.com. Adhdchildhood.com. Retrieved from https://www.adhdchildhood.com/.