Evaluating a Health Promotion Website: Smoking Cessation

Evaluating a wholesomeness Promotion Website smoke effectIntroductionFor the purpose of this assignment and based on the webquest, I overhear elect Essay 2, evaluating a wellness promotion website. The current wellness promotion topic I constitute selected is fastb all told cessation. The National wellness Service (NHS) has set up a Go Smokefree Services and a NHS fastball cooperateline plus a website pass free advice on halt smoking and details of your local NHS Stop Smoking Services (NICE 2006).The principle for this choice is that having completed a placement on a respiratory ward caring for patients with many smoking related diseases, it is important for me as an adult branch nurse to discuss health promotion issues, and to be up to date with current reading in army to help educate people and allow them to make informed choices regarding their health, especially the health benefits of stopping smoking. The Nursing and tocology Council (NMC 2008) states that it is important for nurses to ensure that any advice or entropy given to patients is evidence based.Smoking is a long conventional health hazard and it is the largest avoidable cause of premature deaths in the UK (DOH 2007). It affects well-nigh all branches of nursing because of the wide range of diseases and conditions which it causes. All types of health problems be linked to breathing in second hand smoke, so smoking carriages pretend the health of others as well as their own. Almost e realone knows that smoking is problematical for their health however despite graphic images of blackened lungs and cancerous growths in doctors waiting rooms and on cigarette packets people start smoking or continue to smoke.In state to evaluate the education from my chosen website I will be using a framework (Kapoun 1998). The undercoat for using this framework is because his approach supports the assignment guidelines, which include an overview of the website the origins credibility subject area accuracy suffice objectivity or curve and the currency of the content.AccuracyHaving decided on the subject, smoking cessation I seemed the World Wide Web, using the Google search engine using the criteria. I typed in current health promotions smoking, UK search only. This displayed 240,000 results, the number one repay was www.nhs.uk/smokefree and I decided to use this one. The varlet is produced by the NHS and has no soul author. The website contains facilities for e-mail should you encounter any difficulties with using the website, and a direct get across telephone number for help and advice. The purpose of the document and the reason for its work (Kapoun 1998) is to provide information on the benefits of stopping smoking it achieves this by carrying advice online, and a facility to download inspirational DVDs and stop smoking guides. The website is aimed at providing information for all age groups and sections of the smoking population, with information and support networks operable in many languages and formats including Braille. The website also provides many facilities for health do by professionals to order various support corporals wish leaflets. In distinguishing between the author and the webmaster (Kapoun 1998) the author of the site who produces the content of the web page is the NHS, but the site webmaster who maintains the website is non shown as a separate body. The NHS as the major health care provider in the UK is much than than qualified to write this document (Kapoun 1998) as they have access to all departments of health information and re obtains, plus administration statistics and strategies.AuthorityAs discussed in the previous subheading the website publisher is not shown separately from the webmaster, but the copyright is held by the Department of Health (DOH 2007) for which no address is shown. The URL address is www.smokefree.nhs.uk and the domain is www.nhs.uk which clearly shows the document is make in the Un ited Kingdom. The publisher does not list any qualifications but the pre-eminence of the NHS would lend authority to the document.ObjectivityThe website does achieve its goals (Kapoun 1998). It achieves its objectives by making procurable information on the benefits of stopping smoking, the health risks and financial cost of proceed to smoke. For example the online calculator shows that the cost of smoking 40 cigarettes per day is three hundred per month, or 37,000 over the next twenty years. The information is in truth fine and explained in ordinary non-medical terms, making it easily readable for the average person. The website was have the appearance _or_ semblanceingly non-commercial, on that point was no external advertising, and the motives of the website were very clearly aimed only at dissuading people from starting to smoking and persuading them to stop. I feel that the NHS website was an excellent source of information it had links to the national statistics website and links to the DOH website which clearly verbalise that it was a department of the government with ministerial responsibility, which clearly adds to its authority (Kapoun 1998). It had content for the layman seeking assistance to stop smoking, through to professionals, planning local and regional smoking cessation initiatives. In my opinion this website gave an objective commit of view, because it presented the facts, the options, costs, the health risks and benefits without world judgemental, or biased against the smoking minority. By comparison, the go through on Smoking and Health (Ash) website presented its information in a more opinionated manner, the website had the feel of a crusade about it, rather than panorama and offering information and support, it seemed to portray smokers as victims of the tobacco industry unequal to(p) of free choice. The website gives information on stopping smoking, and the benefits and aids to quitting, but the website feels like an anti-t obacco company apparent movement rather than a website promoting the benefits of stopping smoking. The website did not seem objective, as it presented its information and statistics in a more judgemental and biased manner. The circumscribe of this website whilst containing information on ceasing smoking and the benefits of ceasing smoking appeared mainly political with a motive of banning the sale of tobacco. I feel that this website had a whole negative approach to dissuading smokers, and more of a dictatorial outlook. In elevate comparison the Nicorette.co.uk appeared factual in as much as it offered akin(predicate) statistics as the NHS website but in a much simpler format. The information was simple to read, but it was aimed only at the general smoking public. Although it gives you the possible health benefits, and the costs of smoking which are in agreement with the NHS website, it is clearly a commercial website, promoting its own nicotine replacement therapies, although they do state on all their web pages, that stopping smoking does require willpower, which would infer that the products denote are only an aid and not a cure. Unlike (ASH) the content of the website does not criticise smokers or the tobacco companies, however as a commercial entity, it would not be in their commercial interest if tobacco was banned which may show an unspoken bias in prefer of tobacco.CurrencyThe website appears to be up to date as it was set up at the start of the NHS smokefree campaign in 2007, although no specific update information available. All of the links were working and appeared to be updated regularly, as thither was information on all current campaigns for February 2009 (Kapoun 1998). A current campaign dated 2nd February 2009 is designed to make the consequences of smoking during pregnancy more personal by explaining how smoking deprives the baby of oxygen and causes the babies heart to shin faster (DOH 2008).CoverageThe website appears to be almost completely self contained with very few external links (Kapoun 1998). The whole document appears to be very well balanced with images, videos text and graphics. For example, several television celebrities after being given advice and support from local NHS stop smoking advisers have put down video diaries of their personal experiences of stopping smoking, which are available to view online, or you can also order a DVD free of charge. in that respect is no special software requirements needed to view the information on the website, no browser recommendations are given, nor are there any fees account payable to use the website, plus all downloads and promotional material is free (Kapoun 1998). thither are accessibility options of large text for people who are visually impaired. The information on the website is mainly in the public domain, meaning there is no copyright, and no citations are shown.ConclusionFirst impressions of the website were very confirmative and this carried on through as I read the material and followed the links. The website is well presented and all the links worked, the website was easy to use, interesting and catchy. There is a wealthiness of information on the effects of smoking, social effects (stains your teeth and fit out smell), the effects on other peoples health (second hand smoke), the financial costs (to the smoker) and not least the huge negative effects on the smokers health. The website equally promoted the enormous benefits to be gained by stopping smoking, unconstipated after many years of smoking. All information downloads, and promotional material is free. There are telephones lines for help and advice addresses for regional centres were also available. I legal opinion the website would be of great assistance to many people who genuinely wanted to quit smoking, the support and advice offered was very comprehensive, and also had facilities for health care professionals, go providers and employers on how to refer s mokers to NHS services, support smokers in stopping, and plan the delivery of smoking cessation services (NICE 2008). The website policy and privacy guidelines were difficult to find via the page links, but they could be found easily by using the search facility, if you could find the correct keywords. In my opinion the information was accurate, reliable, and the source, Department of Health (DOH), which is a Government Ministry, is trustworthy.On writing this assignment I have improved my knowledge and understanding regarding website evaluation. As a student nurse, and to offer evidence based health promotional information to patients, I brighten how important it is to research the information, making sure it is current, checking how often it is updated, how reliable the information is, does it come from a credible source, can the reader trust the information (Kapoun 1998).I will take with me into future practice the knowledge that, in the first place I provide any information to patients, it has been critically evaluated, in order for them to make informed choices regarding their health care.Reference List.ASH (2007) Essential information on stopping Smoking. Online. for sale at http//www.ash.org.uk/files/documents/ASH_116.pdf Accessed on 11th butt against 2009.Department of Health (DOH) (2007) online. Available at http//www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publichealth/Healthimprovement/Tobacco/index.htm Accessed on twenty-eighth February 2009.Department of Health (DOH) (2008) Online. Available at http//smokefree.nhs.uk/smoking-and-pregnancy/ Accessed on 28th February 2009.Kapoun, J. (1998) Teaching Undergraduates WEB Evaluation. College and Research Libraries News. July/August 1998. p 522-523.Nice (2006) abbreviated Interventions and Referral for Smoking conclusionin Primary Care and other Settings. Online. Available at http//www.gpiag.org/news/smokingcessation/nice_smoking_interventions_quick_reference.pdf Accessed on 28th February 2009.Nice (2008) Smoking Cessation Se rvices. Online. Available at http//www.nice.org.uk/Guidance/PH10 Accessed on 28th February 2009.Nicorette (2009). Stop Smoking Now. Online. Available at www.nicorette.co.uk Accessed on 10 March 2009.Nursing and Midwifery Council (2008) The Code. London NMC.The National Health Service (NHS) (2007) Go Smokefree. Online. Available at www.smokefree.nhs.uk Accessed on 27th February 2009.