This week, I continued to probe the Web for updates on health-related issues. I selected ten websites and blogs and listed them at the linkroll on the right as my primary resource pool. Here is my evaluation of each blog based on the Webby Awards and Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA) criterion.
The Physician’s First Watch website’s primary strength is in its rich and current content targeting visitors who primarily want to be alerted on the latest medical news or development. Visual representation and functionality take the back seat. Whereas WebMD site takes a different route – it offers interactivity (employing polls, message boards, and quizzes, and video presentations). It is a good website for advice and information, but not opinion. Its structure and navigation is user friendly. WebMD is one of the sites a visitor will bookmark for future references. On the other end of interactivity is the Health Care Renewal blog. It looks like a blog for medical professionals. The opinion expressed is strong with links to support its view or opinion. Interaction and visual representation are given low priority. Its structure and navigation is elementary. Similar in structure, The Health Care Blog discusses the latest health care developments. Its content is technically-oriented; the language is concise. Though weak in visual design and interactivity, the blogger occasionally adds sound clips to enhance overall experience. The opinion expressed is strong, but is balanced with views promoted by others through the links attached. Po
pularly recognized, the Wall Street Journal's Health blog adopts its proprietary newspaper format. The blog's journalistic language style and creative photos (as shown on the left) draw attention. It caters to the general population; hence structure and navigation are made simple. Its blog timing and usefulness exceeded my expectation. In the same manner, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) website caught my attention with attractive visual representation. Highlighting the recent hot topics in its “In the News” board enhances its usefulness, and its added functionalities like NIH Radio, Podcasts, and slide shows improve visitors' overall experience. However, interactivity seems lacking. Moving from the strength of visual presentation, Mayo Clinic’s website impresses visitors with a broad range of services highlighted on a tool bar. It entertains visitor’s emergency situation with a “Find It Fast” panel. Navigation is easy, and its interactivity is facilitated by quizzes or submission of personal questions. Podcast, links to blogs, and video shows enhance visitor’s overall experience. Catering to the medical professionals, Merck Manuals Medical Library site is plain looking. Its content covers a broad range of topics as a library would. Interactivity is obviously absent. Navigation is user-friendly. Multi-media are provided for better illustration in some subjects. No website in my link roll provides such extensive interactivity as the Wrong Diagnosis website. It provides a forum for visitors to enquire about a medical condition or write about one’s related experience. Visual design incorporates the listing of top-10 diseases to draw attention. A video center is built in to explain various diseases, making overall experience rewarding. As expected, Discovery Health’s website provides content that everyone in the modern society craves for, covering the latest news or information on health, healthy living, diseases, and delivers them with animation, graphics, and video presentations. It offers quizzes to promote interaction, and creates a forum for its community. Its easy navigation is vital to such functionalities. Positioning itself differently, Best Health’s website combines health, surgery procedure and drug information in its content using animation and video presentation to promote understanding. Its blog influence is wide, allowing visitors to tap into other resource centers for extended research through an easy navigation.
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