Discussion Post: Evaluating Web-Based Health Communication Tools
In today's interconnected world, it is more important than ever for public health educators to critically evaluate all information. Whether they are evaluating the effectiveness of disease surveillance programs or determining the validity of resources found on the Internet, public health educators can safeguard against deception and invalid conclusions by critically assessing information.
Just as public health educators must evaluate the quality of information, they also must be able to communicate accurate health information to a variety of populations. In this Discussion, you will apply assessment criteria to analyze a web-based health communication tool.
To prepare for this Discussion:
a) Locate a public health communication website, blog, or podcast and evaluate it according to the National Library of Medicine Tutorial https://medlineplus.gov/webeval/webeval.html. Review the examples provided in the Learning Resources.
b) Consider how the website, blog, or podcast could be adapted for use in a different region, state, and country. Think about how the cultural and literacy differences between the locations may impact the adaptation process. Review Simply Put: A Guide for Creating Easy to Understand Materials available at https://www.cdc.gov/healthliteracy/pdf/Simply_Put.pdf for tips on designing for lower literacy populations.
Post the following:
a) Describe the public health communication website, blog, or podcast you selected. Include the URL in your posting.
b) Evaluate the accuracy, authority, objectivity, currency, and coverage of the health information presented.
c) Provide a detailed explanation of the tool you selected and describe how it could be adapted for another population or group. Explain how this adaptation addresses cultural as well as literacy differences.
The response should include a reference list. Double-space, using Times New Roman 12 pnt font, one-inch margins, and APA style of writing and citations.