Evaluation of a Health-Related Website

I have chosen to evaluate a homeopathic medicine website, www.nativeremedies.com. According to the ATA guidelines provided and the recent readings from our Lannon text, there are a few improvements that could be made as far as technical communication goes.

Problem: According to Lannon (p.31), “Laypersons are impatient with abstract theories but they want enough background to help them make the right decision or take the right action. They are bored or confused by excessive detail, but frustrated by raw facts left unexplained or uninterpreted.” The Native Remedies website pretends to offer adequate information with testimonials and vague descriptions of how products work, but actually does little to educate the consumer.

Solution: Lessen frustration by explaining how the product achieves the desired effect. Instead of simply stating, for example, “AdrenoBoost contains a selection of herbs known for their supportive function in maintaining hormonal balance”, the technical communicator should expound by listing the herbs in the product, and describing in layman’s terms how they support the adrenal system, possibly supported by some visual drawings demonstrating the process.

Problem: Information stated on the site as fact is not cited; there is no source for statistics. For example, promotional information for one homeopathic medicine on the site claims, “As a matter of interest, clinical research has demonstrated that the ingredients used in MindSoothe are at least as effective as major anti-depressant drugs, without the same risk of side effects.” This is a rather significant claim.

Solution: ATA guidelines state that it’s important that “each information source is clearly documented.” The Native Remedies site makes a lot of claims for all of their natural products, often boasting that they are equal to or better than prescription drugs, but without the negative side effects. If they are going to make such strong claims, a reference needs to be provided to the official study or clinical research report that supports their statements.

Problem: The ATA guidelines also suggest that health-related websites should be endorsed by a reputable healthcare organization. If a legitimate, well-known, trusted organization (American Pediatric Association, for example) puts their name on a site to vouch for them, it gives the content credibility, which homeopathic medications are often lacking.

Solution: The solution to this particular problem would be to acquire an endorsement from a professional, reputable organization, which may be very difficult. Natural solutions to health concerns (including chiropractic) are often not taken seriously by contemporary medical doctors. This site, to its credit, did the next best thing—they had numerous testimonials posted by M.D.s praising the effectiveness of the natural remedies in their personal situations.


References
Lannon, J. M. (2008). Technical Communication (11th ed.) Ashford Custom. New York: Pearson Longman.