Bottom Line:
Introduces and links to a website produced by Mr Graham Newman who has locally advanced prostate cancer
Publication details:
Mr Newman explains that he uses his website like an online diary to cover his experiences of symptoms, diagnosis and ongoing treatment. CancerHelp UK comments that this website might benefit others who share Mr Newman's outlook on life
We assessed this page using an appraisal instrument developed by Minervation specifically for this project. This approach is still in development, so you should regard the assessments as a general guide. Click here to find out more, or to let us know how you think the approach could be improved.
Reliability comments:
- This web page links to a website created by a prostate cancer patient
- Website content is checked by relevant experts
- It is clear who has developed the website
Usability comments:
- Layout could be clearer
- Font size is good
- Confusing use of menus on the website
- The website conforms fully to web accessibility standards
Scoring
Reliability
| Item |
Score |
| Is it clear who has developed the web site and what their objectives are? |
3 |
| There is a short statement on the homepage describing who CancerHelp UK are, and there is a button on the left side menu linking to further information about them. |
| Does the site report a robust quality control procedure? |
2 |
| The site reports a robust quality control procedure. However, the literature search which is undertaken does not include some key bibliographic databases. |
| Is the page content checked by an expert? |
2 |
| The website content is checked by experts. |
| Is the page updated regularly? |
2 |
| The page was last updated on 10th July 2008. |
| Does the page cite relevant sources where appropriate? |
3 |
| This web page links to a web site created by a prostate cancer patient |
Usability
| Item |
Score |
| Is the site accessible without a login? |
3 |
| No registration required. |
| Does the site conform to web Accessibility standards? |
3 |
| Lida score 100% |
| Is the site design clear and transparent? |
1 |
| The homepage is clearly and simply presented. The contents menu could be expanded to show subheadings under each topic. It is confusing to have two different types of contents menu for each specific cancer topic. It might be better to have a left side menu displaying topic headings. Font size is good throughout the webpages. Colour coding might help split up sections. Breadcrumbs would help users see where they were in the site. |
| Is the site design consistent from one page to another? |
3 |
| Yes, site design is consistent from one page to another. |
| Can users find what they need on the site? |
2 |
| Users can quickly access information relating to specific cancers by choosing the correct link on the homepage. There is a search box and results are displayed clearly. It appears that search results are ranked according to relevance, but how this is decided is unclear. The site map is good, including information for prostate cancer. Users might find it easier browsing for information relating to prostate cancer using this map rather than the contents links. |
| Is the format of information clear and appropriate for the audience? |
2 |
| Layout could be clearer. Font size is good |
| Weighted total (Usability + (Reliability x 2)): |
38 |
We score each question out of three where:
| 0 |
= Never or Can't tell |
| 1 |
= Sometimes or partly |
| 2 |
= Mostly |
| 3 |
= Always |
|
My prostate cancer website (from Graham Newman)
