How helpful is online health education

Submitted by Vartika on September 14, 2010

The internet has become a beacon of information and support to many patients and health care providers. It has made health information more accessible and has become a medium for people seeking health advice. These people are known as health seekers and they look for health information for themselves, their family, or friends.

There is enough information present on the internet for almost all diseases along with tailor made treatments/remedies for both physical and mental fitness. Almost eighty percent of American adult internet users go online to find health care information for themselves and their loved ones.

Online health education provides a nonthreatening opportunity to begin self care and also to become empowered to execute lifestyle initiatives and behavioral changes. Everyone has started looking for quality health care as it is one of the most important aspects of life.

Today, as more people are turning to the internet, they are empowering their options for wellness.

There are a few advantages of online health education which makes it beneficial for both health seekers and health care providers listed below:

· It gives access to health information to people in urban, rural, and even extremely remote areas.

· It offers accessibility, mainly through online health communities, to individuals with impaired mobility, caretaker responsibilities, or possible embarrassing medical conditions that may prevent them from receiving adequate face-to-face emotional support as well as medical support.

· In addition to the time factor and expense of travel, getting medical help can be expensive. However, online health education is flexible, quick, and convenient.

· In a knowledge-based society, online health education has become the answer to almost all health challenges.

· It is a tool that provides a platform to learn about an illness, seek and offer support, and connect with others in similar circumstances.

· Online heath education plays a crucial role in the development of a healthy and equitable social, emotional, and physical environment.

· Interactivity is again a wonderful feature of online health education, with a particular focus on tailoring content for users. You can have discussions and forum chats, or join health communities that focus on health conditions and treatments; this creates a sense of mutuality, connection, and shared understanding between the participants.

In the past couple of years, there has been a rise in the popularity of online health education and learning.

If educated on health issues, a person knows how to tackle health risks and challenges.

Online health education is now being encouraged by governments in several countries. It is crucial for health care providers to ensure that the online information is credible, as it heightens the positive feelings of the health care seekers towards online health education.