Obtaining the knowledge for selecting health websites and apps that will benefit you to
manage your diabetes is helpful. A couple things to keep in mind when viewing
information pertaining to health websites. There are many health websites that
aim to give helpful guidance and information. Before taking advice or direction
from any website, it is important to establish if the website is trustworthy, with
current information provided for your benefit from doctors that specialize in
that field.
Also, when choosing a health website, you want to
check the URL for the key words HTTPS. The (s) on the end of this web URL is
important because it means that the site is secure to use. If the user inputs
information into the website, they will know that their information will not be
accessed, in other words it will be secure. Usually, there will be a green icon
(a symbol) with a green padlock.
Something else to note is if the website uses
“cookies”. A website can say it’s “secure” with a lock icon in green and inform
you they use cookies. Cookies can be a tricky thing. A cookie is a small file
which contains information that the website uses to track the user’s
information and patterns as they browse the website and even other websites. This
allows them to give other companies and 3rd parties a way to
advertise to you. This is how advertisers can get your information and then
send you unsolicited advertisements. Thus, it’s best when possible to not use
websites that use cookies or block cookies with your browser settings.
Keep
in mind, when obtaining health information from a website it is wise to take
the time to look at who is providing the information. This will ultimately,
allow you to know if the information is credible, such as with the websites
Mayo Clinic, Medline, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention which are
reputable sites you can count on for credible information.
When
choosing apps to download it helps to focus in on what type of app it is and
what it offers. Notice home many individuals have downloaded the app. This
helps you see if the app is well established and people have found it to be
favorable. Take a moment to view the reviews on the app. This usually,
will give you good insight on the benefits, problems, any issues people are
experiencing, or positive attributes the app has over other apps. The higher
the rating is, in general, the better the app usually turns out to be.
It is
wise to note what “permissions” the app is asking you to allow. In other words,
what kind of access is it requesting to obtain. Some apps ask for permission to
allow for personal information to be exchanged to help you manage your health
and to allow you access to your health records as well as allowing your
provider access to your information. Thus, allowing your provider to better
serve you. For example, Mayo Clinic has an app that allows for the
convenience of making appointments and helping you to manage your health
overall or the app could be asking for permission to solicit to you for
advertisement purposes. A couple of apps recommended for diabetes management
are Glooko, Diabetes:M, and mySugr. These apps are free and have high ratings
and positive reviews.
