Analysis and Evaluation of the American Migraine Foundation Website

Analysis and Evaluation of the American Migraine Foundation Website

Introduction to the problem

Migraine is a significant issue that has been affecting the American population in the recent past. Studies have it that at least 37 million people in America are impacted by migraines, indicating the scope of the disease in the American population alone (Alam et al., 2019). It has become more of a condition, in which millions of people have sought medical attention, but with high rates of recurrence are also being recorded. Therefore, more often than not, patients who suffer migraines have found palliative care rather than the real medication, as a result of reduced prognosis levels of this condition. Migraine is known to affect women almost three times as much as men. Women have therefore become the face of the migraine menace, and researchers have been working around the clock to ensure that a lasting solution is derived that will be able to reduce, if not eliminate, it.

Being pulsating headaches, people who suffer this tend to neglect and assume them as ordinary headaches. Men, primarily, being known for their deficient medical seeking behavior (Gilbert, Elder, and Thorpe, 2016), will always use painkilling drugs to reduce the problems. With time, the migraine aggravates and becomes much more pronounced, and by the time these patients seek proper health care attention, severe damage has occurred. The American health practitioners have been working in a bid to improve on early detection of this disease so that remissions can be enhanced. The American migraine foundation has done a commendable job in setting a website that will meet the needs of these patients conveniently. Several aspects of the site indicate how much a convenient tool it is in increasing the proximity between medical services and the patients themselves. Over time, this menace will undoubtedly be dealt with if the same amount of energy channels towards improving medical service delivery.

Defining/describing the problem

The definition of a Migraine is the primary headache disorder that is characterized by the persistent pulsating headaches that affect one side of the head, while also shifting now and again to other parts of the head (May and Schulte, 2016). The aches are recurrent, and patients are always encouraged to be on palliative care in addition to the medical intervention to reduce the aches they experience. Migraine is often associated with other symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and increased sensitivity to light, smell, or even sound. Upon engagement of any physical activity, patients will often experience aggravated pain that can immobilize them within their beds. However, with proper medical intervention, migraine is curable, and patients have received such treatment and got remission. Most of the other symptoms are associated with brain function compromise, including emotional and visual disturbances. The visual disturbances are an earlier indicator that the individual will soon feel the migraine. The migraine occurs around the eyeball socket, where the throbbing and pulsating effect is as though the eyeball is popping out

, upon setting off.

Both environmental and genetic factors play a vital role in the development of the disease. About a third of the total cases witnessed in the American population is a result of familial factors. Hormonal changes play a crucial role, too, with more males than females being affected before puberty, and three times as many women as men being affected after puberty. With immense hormonal changes occurring during adolescence, different studies have identified hormones as a possible way of solving the migraine menace. However, research work still needs to be done to ascertain the authenticity of this information.

Medical personnel will always find some difficulty in trying to make a diagnosis of this disease and are forced to engage in differentials to make sure that any other illness does not recur. The reason for this is because headaches occur as a result of many other issues in the human body. For a migraine to be a problem, careful and precise diagnoses should take place. Some of the conditions that are associated with migraines include subarachnoid hemorrhage, venous thrombosis in a significant brain vein, idiopathic intracranial hypertension, a tumor within the brain, headache caused by tension, and sinusitis—all these present similarly to migraines (Kowalska et al. 2017). The treatment modalities that are employed are similar in many aspects, involving breaking down the clot in cases of thrombosis, pressure-lowering drugs in cases of intracranial hypertension, surgery to excise tumors in brain tumor cases, palliative care and painkilling drugs.

Migraine health education is, therefore, a significant element that the American health sector is trying to pursue through different platforms in a bid to ensure that cases of migraines do decline in the best way possible. The government has invested in different areas, including the American migraine foundation, that provides a platform with which the American people can consult and seek medical advice and intervention. The foundation has diversified its structures, including an online platform that patients can interact with medical practitioners and seek medical attention at their convenience. With the increased vigilance in matters of migraine, the levels of awareness had also increased, with more people seeking medical attention whenever they experience persistent headaches, unlike in the past when most of the patients did not seek proper medical intervention. Most of them sought palliative care, such as painkilling drugs, to reduce the aches they experience.

Significance of migraine health education

One of the most fundamental importance that migraine health education has is that it is an essential aspect of the health system of the American people and the world at large. Migraine remains a common disease that afflicts millions of people around the globe, with most of the individuals afflicted by this disease continuing on palliative care for an extended period before it sets in on remission (Scher et al., 2017). Educating them on this disease is a noble cause that will go a long way in ensuring that even in the future, the people remain vigilant and aware of it and the medical intervention they need to seek in a bid to avert the situation. Educating the people about how to deal with migraines and the importance of seeking medical intervention early enough is a step towards a positive direction. Many of the people who suffer migraines are not aware of the disease they have. It is only upon recurrent attacks and an accidental hospital check-in that they can know the scope of what is ailing them.

Another significance of migraine health education is that it informs the governmental system and other health care systems across the country and abroad of the scope of migraine in the country. That will assist them in proper allocation of funds and other resources in an appropriate way that will be beneficial in averting the disease. With more than 30 million people suffering from the condition in the United States alone, that is a clear indication of the scope of the disease amongst the people. Therefore, it will be paramount that enough resources are pumped into the platform so that the American migraine foundation can have enough backing to deal with the increasing number of cases reported. One of the achievements that the American government can pride itself on, it is the success that the foundation has seen in the recent past in dealing with these issues. The foundation has a comprehensive website that will be discussed later in this essay. The site has online interface capabilities, whereby health practitioners can deal with their clients at their convenience. Such achievements go down to the resources that have been availed by the government in support of these initiatives.

Finally, life is precious without a doubt, and it needs to be protected by all means to ensure that every individual residing on this planet has a right to a quality life. Part of the quality of life includes having access to quality health care that is affordable and easily accessible. Migraine health education does that. Educating the people on such common conditions makes sure that valuable information is available to the people that will enable them to deal with the disease appropriately. That is ensuring that the people have access to quality health care through sensitization campaigns that aim at promoting health facilities renowned for the quality health care in as far as migraine is concerned. Specific treatment plans such as those given to migraine patients need adequate publicity so that every individual afflicted by the disease is in a position to have access to it.

Need/rationale for this evaluation

Evaluation of medical websites such as the one for the American migraine foundation is a necessity if improvements are to be m in the medical field in terms of service delivery and quality health care services (Gavgani et al., 2018). In the current generation, information technology is an essential aspect of the medical field. Almost all the medical services are integrated with information technology to enhance convenience and ease of distribution to the people. Websites have become the popular platforms that medical facilities are using to reach out to as many people as possible. Therefore, it is essential to evaluate them so that the level of effectiveness can be determined.

One of the critical reasons why the website needs evaluation is so that the accuracy of the information therein can be determined and assessed (Thielsch and Hirschfeld, 2019). Accuracy of the information on websites, especially sites with vital medical information, is paramount. Inaccuracy and fallacious information will mislead the public in their masses, consequently causing a detriment in the medical status within the country and even around the globe. Accuracy of the information therein includes checking for grammatical errors and proper citation of data. Evaluation of such websites is also paramount to establish and ensure the credibility and authority of the persons or groups of people posting the information. Quack medical personnel have been in existence for years. They might be part of a cartel that has specialized in customizing high-quality websites that are appealing to the public, but with erroneous information that is misleading and inaccurate. Therefore, it essential to determine the people who post information on such websites and ascertain whether they have the credentials to guide the public on matters of health.

Objectivity is another vital aspect of any website that prides itself on being thorough and effective in its role of sharing information with the public (Thielsch and Hirschfeld, 2019). Objectivity involves having a goal to achieve when sharing such data to the people, while also giving both sides of the story, not leaning on one side of the story. Moreover, objectivity involves having high-quality websites with appealing interface, and high-quality graphic designs that include both imaging and font design

The timelines on a website are essential and need absolute adherence (Thielsch and Hirschfeld, 2019). Thus, ensuring that information posted therein is timely and of the required and current standards. One characteristic of useful information is that it is time-bound and can expire. Therefore, it is vital that a good website, especially one that focusses on medical information, is continuously updated, and that information remains timely. By having timelines, sites should also focus on updating other aspects of the platform, such as the links that direct the users to critical information. Some website becomes obsolete with time. As such, the connections become useless.

Finally, the coverage on the website also provides another rationale as to why the evaluation of such is essential. An ideal site has to have complete coverage of the information on its area of specialization. By that, additional information on the website must be in the form of footnotes and links that direct any user seeking services from the website to other online sites that provide useful information about the same topic.

Introduction to the website

The American migraine foundation website is an online platform that the foundation uses to reach out to millions of the American people and sensitize them on migraine and the issues surrounding the disease (American Migraine Foundation, 2018). The website outlines several aspects of the disease. One of them includes an online interface platform in which patients and interested parties can seek medical assistance. Medical practitioners with a vast knowledge of migraines are always on standby to attend to any client who would want to seek medical intervention. The fees are affordable for the American people, and the convenience with which clients seek such services is unrivaled. Medical practitioners can be engaged on a one-time, weekly, or monthly basis. That is one of the most fundamental aspects of the websites in trying to combat this menace. Another aspect of the site is that it provides a platform for researchers who would be interested in research work appertaining to migraines in the United States (American Migraine Foundation, 2018). The link provides useful information on research work done already, what is ongoing, and what is still under contention for the future. An online resource library link is attached to the website with which interested parties can acquaint themselves with invaluable information about migraines.

On the advertisement aspect, there is a rolling notice containing vital information about statistics on migraine across the United States and encouraging news about how patients suffering from migraines can seek assistance from qualified and highly competent medical practitioners in the field (American Migraine Foundation, 2018). What the website emphasizes is informing the public of migraines and any possible way in which the people, and especially those suffering from migraines can be helped out through medical services or through the information that will help them cope up with living with this disease.

Evaluation of the website

1. Accuracy

Accuracy of a website entails a variety of elements that characterize the platform. One of the features is information based on sound medical research. In the medical field, all the data must be backed up by medical research to authenticate them and make them suitable for consumption by the people (Kaur and Dufuor, 2019). To prove that information therein is well researched and authentic, then one characteristic is that the data should be well referenced with medical resources that are timely and not obsolete. In that perspective, the website has information that is well researched and authentic. The data in it is backed up by sound medical research. One evidence to vindicate this is that the site has a link to a resource library where most of the materials on migraines can be accessed. The rolling notice, together with the lower pages of the website, have statistics about the scope of migraine in the American population. The statistics are well backed up in the resource library, indicating that information in it can is for public consumption. Also, references to essential aspects of migraine are provided, including links to external medical journals that expound on the issue of migraine.

Another aspect of accuracy in a website involves checking for the grammar and language used to express different aspects of the main content. These include checking for any grammatical errors that have been committed to writing information. Also, spelling mistakes are part of sharing inaccurate information, that can be misleading and fallacious to the public. The American migraine foundation website has been well crafted, with the designer being keen on such errors as grammatical and spelling mistakes (American Migraine Foundation, 2018). There were no grammatical and spelling mistakes detected from the evaluation of the site and a review of the information shared on it. A high level of keenness and accuracy in drafting the information on the website is a consideration. In a deliberate move to ensure that the audience and readers of the website can understand the information in it, the designers used simple grammar that the masses can be able to know without any struggles. Using complex language can limit the understanding of most of the public, which will pose negative implications on matters of migraines.

Referencing has been done as earlier alluded. However, the referencing done is in an old fashioned way, whereby the links added to the website direct readers to external sources that are without a doubt of importance to understanding more about migraines. But in as far as the conventional ways of referencing are concerned, none of those have been included (American Migraine Foundation, 2018). Such include footnotes, bibliographies, or reference lists in the standard formats. Having a comprehensive list of references to the information shared in the platform could be a great way of ensuring that those who are interested in doing research work on migraine can be able to link up with relevant resource materials from the list provided. Also, footnotes will ensure that any additional information or quotations by skilled practitioners in the field are available with some orderliness and efficiency. Nonetheless, excerpts have been involved in other parts of the website to compliment the resource library open. Such quotations contain encouraging information about migraines that will, for sure, go a long way in ensuring that the individuals who are suffering from migraines are not discouraged about seeking medical intervention.

1. Authority

Authority means that the individuals who crafted all the information that is available on the website are credible individuals who have a track record of being medical practitioners practicing at the highest level. The people who craft the message in medical sites such as the American migraine foundation website have to be credible and highly experienced in topics as public policy, in addition to having vast information about a specialty such as a migraine. On this particular evaluating factor, the website does not have any considering aspects, because it is a foundation rather than a medical center. For this foundation, most of the information uploaded on its website includes information on how best the disease can be averted and any supportive information on the same (American Migraine Foundation, 2018). Therefore, on the issue of having a credible author and with the right credentials, this website does not have one. The information therein includes vital details on how to deal with the disease in a better way in broader America.

Another aspect of authority that needs evaluation is about contact information within the website. A credible site that prides itself on being a perfect platform for clients to get vital information has to be well supported and backed up with contact information that will be relevant to the acquisition of more details on the website. One of the reasons as to why it is essential to attach contact information in a medical site, such as the American migraine foundation, is to enable researchers and interested parties to be able to link up with the foundation and assist where possible. The primary purpose of setting up the foundation was to help those afflicted as well as the general public. Therefore, a website, especially one for a foundation such as the one discussed, lacking contact information is a crucial mishap that needs addressing promptly.  The relevant contact information necessary for linking up with the general public is available on the American migraine foundation website. The site includes details of all the social media platforms with which the general public can still access information about the foundation. Some of the social media platforms that have been subscribed by the foundation include Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube. These social media platforms provide a range that is necessary for public coverage (Fox, Barry, and Colbert, 2016).

In addition to the social media handles, contact phone numbers are available on the website’s rear pages. There are three contact numbers just to ensure that the public can always access the foundation (American Migraine Foundation, 2018). The location address of the foundation’s offices has been attached too towards the end of the website, as 19 Mantua Road, Mount Royal, NJ 08061. Providing information on the location of offices is paramount without a doubt as it gives potential clients ease of access. Finally, a working email address is available to ensure that the services rendered correspond to the feedback given. A direct messaging system is part of the website, which enables clients to comment directly through the messaging system and receive prompt feedback.

The domain name of a website also gives a hint as to whether the site has the moral authority to provide vital public information about the medical aspects of the people. Personal websites have less influence and are less credible in giving medical information to the public. The American migraine foundation website, with the domain name ‘org’ (American Migraine Foundation, 2018), confirms that indeed, it is an organization. Therefore to deal with a common disease such as migraine, qualified personnel are put into place to do the job and run the foundation.

1. Bias/Objectivity

Objectivity in a medical website is paramount to ensuring that the right information is posted and not irrelevant information that will not be of any impact to the people who access it. One key rationale for gauging whether a website is objective is by ensuring that the content in it is not bias in any way and that it provides information that is accommodative of both sides of the coin. Being stuck to one perspective is derogatory to the people who view the aspect from a different perspective but cannot let their views heard because the website won’t allow (Ehren, Paterson, and Baxter, 2019). Information on medical websites must have room for debate and give both sides of the story. The American migraine foundation website has already proven information through research work. The website only provides concrete details on how society deals with migraines, and there’s little information on theories provided.

Another aspect of objectivity involves the body that is sponsoring the website and all its content. It can be a pharmaceutical company or a non-profit organization, with these two scenarios eliciting different expectations from the public. A non-profitable organization, such as the American migraine foundation suits the bill of being a charitable organization that aims at helping the society in ensuring that dealing with migraine is a lot easier than the way it could have been. The website specifies that it is sponsored by a non-profit organization that aims at pursuing research work and through ongoing studies to ensure that it deals with migraines in the best way possible (American Migraine Foundation, 2018).

As part of sensitizing the public on what it has to offer in terms of dealing with migraine, the website has an advertisement platform, consisting of a rolling notice, that contains different information about facts on migraine. At the top of the website page, there’s a link that connects medical practitioners to their clients (American Migraine Foundation, 2018). The interface requires that clients pay a fee that can be on a one-time, weekly, or monthly basis. The advantage of the platform is the convenience with which clients can seek medical services. In the comfort of their homes, they can apply for medical intervention online and get access at a relatively cheaper cost.

The interface of a website needs to be appealing to the eyes of the guests who have access to them. The appeal of the site is what will attract them and many other visitors and generate enough traffic. There are several ways in which web designers can increase the attractiveness of the website and make them more attractive to guests. One way is by ensuring that the visual graphics employed in designing the websites are of high quality. Graphics include both the imaging and the font types used in presenting the information. The American migraine foundation website is in such a way that it is of high appeal to the public. Thematic fonts have been used, with the primary color used in the site being purple with shades of other colors such as white and grey to add on the appeal (American Migraine Foundation, 2018). Such proves that the designer costs put into consideration the qualities of a good website.

1. Currency/timelines

At all costs, timelines on a website are to be adhered to (Liu and Chen, 2018). Having a website that does not have proper timelines is dangerous to the general public, who are consumers of the information therein. Timelines involve having frequent updates on a website to ensure that information is up to date, and that all the irrelevant and obsolete information is out to avoid misguiding the public. The American migraine foundation website is up-to-date with the current information as it is frequently updated. The recent information present proves it on the website. The rolling advertisement notice contains information that is updated and in line with the current trends. Even though the exact date in which the data on the website is not available for verification purposes, there is clear proof that the information therein is well updated. Visiting the website after three days to a week since the last time one visited will showcase the changes that are made on a recurrent basis to ensure that data is updated. The links that are present on the website are functional, too (American Migraine Foundation, 2018). With several links directing users to external sources containing information that is essential and related to migraine, it is also vital that the links remain accessible throughout so that at no point in time do users lack access to the vital information. Ensuring that all the links within the website are accessible is a thorough job that requires continuous surveillance within the website so that all the inaccessible links are in place with links containing related information. The foundation has been able to do this fairly well because, for the five times that I accessed the website in one week, at no point in time was I unable to gain access to any link attached.

There has also been recent research on migraines, as explained in the resource library on the website. The website provides a useful link to a resource library that contains journals and other credible online sources about what developments have been made in as far as trying to avert migraine is concerned. However, updating content that was uploaded some time back has been done poorly. In the medical field, updating content that is uploaded is an important task that takes place more often because publication made a year ago could be inaccurate currently. Articles and journals uploaded before, are still there with no form of an update made on the same to ensure that they are up to speed with what the current trends dictate (American Migraine Foundation, 2018). Handlers need to be keen and alive to the fact that if such information is for years to come, then the people will be misled with information that was accurate in the past but has ceased from being correct in the current times.

1. Coverage

Finally, a website has to contain complete information that is well supported by relevant sources. Being a platform that will reach millions of people, the information therein has to be comprehensive and well supported, lest the risk of misguiding the public. One of the most common occurrences in websites has been the lack of adequately covered information that is not well referenced too. It has caused many medical sites to lack the credibility and authenticity of serving the public in the world. As a result, such sites have become the sources of misleading data in society. Medical practitioners, amongst other interested parties, end up using such information, thinking that the information therein is credible and worthy of use. The American migraine foundation website is well covered, however. The report spread through the site is complete and well authored (American Migraine Foundation, 2018). It is so by the fact that additional resources are there through the link to the resource library. Also, another proof that the website has complete information is the fact that the website provides for a two-way system with which the clients who visit the site can be able to offer their invaluable feedback (American Migraine Foundation, 2018). One quality of a complete website is the provision of a feedback channel that clients use to ask questions relevant to the main topic of focus in the website. Lacking this feedback channel creates a barrier between the client and the medical practitioners on the receiving end. Feedback channel provides a mechanism for rating the site and suggesting any way in which the site upgraded further to become even better.

The advertisements in the rolling notice have some vital information about extra resources that could be used by visiting clients to beef up the knowledge they have about migraines. Therefore, the website’s objectivity in ensuring that additional resources are provided for the public to have a vast array of materials to select. Also, apart from being a well set up website, the American migraine foundation website has the rare ability to link up clients to services that are obtained only from hospital setups (American Migraine Foundation, 2018). It is a unique feature that gives it the upper hand as opposed to other websites that do not have the feature. With the possibility of linking up a doctor to a client, one of the advantages that the site has is the fact that it promises convenience to any potential client. Also, the service is affordable as it can be subscribed either on a one-time, weekly, or monthly basis. These two advantages ascertain the completeness that websites need to have.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the American migraine foundation website generally meets the standard of evaluation that the national network of libraries of medicine advocates for any medical website of that caliber. The site meets the threshold of being a competent and credible site in advocating for matters migraines across America and even beyond; the design of the website makes me believe so. The model of design is top-notch, with an appealing interface that is attractive and easy to access. The appeal in a website (Liu et al., 2017) is one thing that designers must be able to get right because failure to have that leads to low human traffic generated.

There is a channel on the website provided for the direct messaging of the client to the support system, which excites me the most. Such is not a standard feature on all sites. It shows the kind of devotion that the designers of this website had in mind to ensure that services dispatched through the website are top notch and are subject to the review of clients who seek its assistance. Allowing clients to provide feedback on areas they feel should be improved is key to improving the platform even further in the future. Positive criticism is key to improvement. Also, the feedback channel provides for consultation services that are unrivaled and confidential for the convenience of the clients.

Also, I feel that in this modern era of social media and other digital advancements, providing a vast array of social media handles like what the American migraine foundation has done on their website is positive on their part. There is an attachment of a total of six social media platforms on the site, which are links for easy access to the platforms in case a client wants to see what they offer through those social media handles.

There are some aspects that I still feel can be improved on the websites, though. One such element is that of resource materials and references. The resource library is available through a link that, when clicked, direct users to an external library of resources that are credible and useful in understanding more about migraine. However, listing the funds within the interface of the website would be more beneficial for several reasons. One is the convenience of access. Listing the references shows the timelines with which the research was done, as opposed to resource libraries that have all the resources, either other being obsolete and out of place. Footnotes, too, can be an excellent way of effectively referencing the data therein. Therefore, the designers should find a way of incorporating this referencing structures for the betterment of the website.

Reference list

(2018, March 26). American Migraine Foundation. https://americanmigrainefoundation.org/

Alam, A., Munjal, S., Reed, M., Bostic, R., Buse, D., Dodick, D., … & Lipton, R. (2019). Work Activities Associated with Migraine: Results from Migraine in America Symptoms and Treatment (MAST) Study (P4. 10-018).

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Kowalska, M., Wize, K., Wieczorek, I., Kozubski, W., & Dorszewska, J. (2017). Migraine and Risk Factors of Vascular Diseases. Ischemic Stroke of Brain.

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May, A., & Schulte, L. H. (2016). Chronic migraine: risk factors, mechanisms, and treatment. Nature Reviews Neurology, 12(8), 455.

Scher, A. I., Buse, D. C., Fanning, K. M., Kelly, A. M., Franznick, D. A., Adams, A. M., & Lipton, R. B. (2017). Comorbid pain and migraine chronicity: the chronic migraine epidemiology and outcomes study. Neurology, 89(5), 461-468.

Thielsch, M. T., & Hirschfeld, G. (2019). Facets of website content. Human–Computer Interaction, 34(4), 279-327.