Re: Use IT for awareness about HIV/AIDS

[Guest guest]

Evaluating Web pages

Joe

There is an increasing acknowledgement to the role of online communications in

improving the outcomes of the health care (. R 2004) similarly, there is

greater need for evaluating the Web pages for its reliability. A substantial

number of evaluation tools are widely available (berkeley.edu). Web sites are

being used from a consumer as well as the provider point of view. For the web

content providers website evaluation is an on going assessment of the sites

against a set of (often evolving) standards and rules which are identified to

be present in the most successful websites. The content providers evaluate the

web pages for keep track on their strengths and weaknesses, to compare with

others, to make rapid changes and to monitor what site improvements would

produce the greatest results.

The consumers, particularly health information consumers employ criteria's such

as purpose of the site, audience of the site, interactivity, appeal, accuracy

and credibility, relevancy and currency of information, access, specialties,

sponsors and affiliations, privacy, statement of recourse mechanisms and Links

to other internet resources.

Based on these criteria, I have developed a questionnaire to evaluate HIV/AIDS

related web pages as part of two training programs for the science

communicators and journalists in the use of ICTs in reporting the science of

HIV/AIDS jointly organised with the United Nations Scientific, Educational and

Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and scidev.net in Chennnai in India in 2003 and

in Thailand in 2004. (scidev.net 2003, 2004)

_____________________________

Evaluation questionnaire to assessing the quality of web pages.

Name of the web page/ url.

Evaluated by:

A. Purpose of site

1. Is there a clear mission statement of the web page

2. Does the statement concisely convey purpose?.

3. If there is no defined statement of purpose is, there a

statements pertaining to the site's intended audience and what

services or information are intended to be provided to that audience?

B. Audience

1. Is there an intended or targeted audience of the web page?

2. If this is not explicitly stated, does factors such as

language, professional skills, reading level, graphics, design,

indicate the target audience?.

3. Does the intended group may specific or general?

4. Are they described by any number of demographic criteria,

including gender, age, race, religion, special interest, health

status, occupation, or geographic location.

C. Interactivity

1. Is there a clear statement about how to participate/use the

web page

2. Is there any limitation on the participation (Eg, registration

required, limited number of posting in a day)

3. Any facility for feedback on the web page management/

Moderation/sources.

4. Nature of web masters involvement, Moderation. Single

moderator/ moderator teams/Un-moderated

D. Appeal

1. How appealing is the presentation of the web page?

2. Is it easy to search the archives?

3. Is this a `multi task' web page?

4. Visual balance. A balance of words, icons, pictures, and

colours may be used effectively to draw attention to content?

5. Innovation and originality of the website and the techniques

that it uses?

6. Are there any exceptionally unique features?

E. Accuracy/Credibility

1. How accurate is the message presented on the web page?

2. Are there posting of glaring contents which goes against well

accepted beliefs without proper discussion?

3. Any systematic omissions of contents? Eg. Clinical vs no clinical

issues?

4. Presence or absence of clearly stated limitations/omissions

of the web page?

5. Discussions/ postings, are they purely subjective statements or

scientific data and reports are part of the web pages?

6. How thorough and detailed are the discussions/ postings?

7. Any systematic efforts to present original sources which are

referenced?

8. Any statements about sponsor with potential conflicts of interest?

F. Relevancy/Currency:

1. How update and relevant are the content of the information/

postings/ discussion? Updating profile

G. Access

1. How accessible is the web page?

2. Any systemic barriers such as additional subscription or other

required steps before viewing content?

H. Specialties

1. Is this a specialized web page?

2. What is the nature of the specialization?

3. Is the web page part of the a range of specialty

information / " multiple specialties " ?

I. Sponsors/Affiliations

1. Any details of the sponsorship presented?

2. What is the source of Funding? (corporate, educational,

government, etc)

3. Statements about conflict of interest

4. Advertising vs grant sponsorship

J. Privacy

1. Is there a statement about the use of data /privacy?

2. Privacy policy, is it available? What are the specific contents?

3. What information is being gathered about participants and for

what purpose?

K. Statement of recourse mechanisms

1. Details of where to take you complaints?

L. Linkages

1. Are there any link pages?

2. Are they classified in any particular order?

______________________

References:

(Editors Choice) Can IT lead to radical redesign on

health care? BMJ 328, 15 th May 2004

Evaluating Web Pages: Techniques to Apply & Questions to Ask

http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Evaluate.html

[Accessed on 13th Aug 04]

(scidev.net 2003, 2004) Use of ICTs in reporting the science of

HIV/AIDS. Report of the work shop.jointly organised with the United

Nations Scientific, Educational and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)

on the use of ICTs in reporting the science of HIV/AIDS. November

2003: Chennai, India. http://www.scidev.net/misc/Report_Jan_2004

(2).doc

[Guest guest]

Dear members of e group,

I am very interested with the use of IT to create awareness about HIV pandemie. Me, too. In my coutriy (VietNam), We have about ten web-page for all high-risk group,ie

www.hiv.com.vn

www.heroine.com.vn

and some page of government

www.medicine-hcm.net

I understand the effect of this web-page in the fighting against HIV/AIDS. Knowledge and experiences about HIV are shared among the users , and helped them to liberate their bad dream after having the HIV result.

Best regard.

"Cao Huu Nghia"

E-mail: