Unit 2- Activity 2: Explore ICT and The Health Information

What are the different forms of information that are presented?

NHS Website

NHS Direct: the information is presented in a variety of ways, same in pictures, diagrams and text; it is easy to use with useful links into helping you to figure out what is causing your symptoms and how to help dealing with them. It also allows you to locate your nearest GP, Pharmacy, Dentist and A&E. It has a member section to the site and you can seek advice for mental health problems.

Best treatments:

Best Treatments website

Best Treatments is more text then the NHS direct website it lists the main health topics and links into other pages that may help, it has a search bar for conditions and treatments that you can go through to find the correct pages with the information you would need. There is a toolbar type option at the top which you can select and browse through.

What are the different methods that can be used to find information?

You can do a manual search, by using the top search bar on the website, you could follow the links that appear on the side or go through a body map (only on NHS) selecting the area that is in pain and choose from there. You can search through all the other parts of the website under particular areas to locate what you need/want to find out. On best treatments.org you can go and select form men’s or women’s health topic.

What are the different audiences for the information and how does the presentation for these audiences varies?

NHS- The audience for the information is adults and anyone who can use a computer and load up the correct area on the correct website.

Best Treatments- Adults as it is mainly text and can be a bit confusing on where you need to look and find out the information you may need.

In what ways does this service add to the service from GP's and hospitals?

This online service can add to the government’s service to the public within hospitals and GP surgeries by lessening the number of patients that go in to these services, meaning that the doctors and nurses can spend more time with the people who really need their help. The doctors can be kept up to date with recent increase enquires and see if there are any continually look up’s about a certain symptoms.

In what ways does this lead to more efficient government?

With these sites set up and with a call centre for bigger enquiries it means that the government can overall save more money due to the decreasing number of little cases taking up the heath systems time and equipment, meaning that the saved money can be put to good use and buy more operating equipment and medicine also meaning that they can save more life’s.