Do not underestimate the value of educational sites

Educational institutions are a valuable source for current, reliable information on health issues. We often do not resort to them because we tend to associate educational istitutions with purely academia that would not see the need to maintain worthy websites. However, the academic credentials of an academic institution provide the legitimacy that is sometimes hard to find when using resources on the Internet. Search engines typically yield a number of commercial sites with the occasional government-run and/or organizational site, but it is rare to find an educational site from a basic search. Usually, through a more direct and specified search one may be linked to a scholarly article or journal published by an academic institution. However, it is also possible, although not that obvious that one can use .edu sites to find basic information on a topic. I visited a website run by the Cedars-Sinai Health System looking for a thorough definition of ovarian cancer and an overview of the symptoms, consequences, etc. associated with this disease. In addition to the usual items related to the hospital system, there is a tab on the top menu that links the user to a page of information on numerous health conditions. The conditions are alphabetized, so I was able to easily navigate my way to the page specifically on ovarian cancer. The page itself was very organized and easy to read. There was no unnecessary, extraneous information, just straight bulleted facts that one needs for a concise understanding of the disease. The page covers the definition of ovarian cancer, its symptoms, possible risk factors, diagnosis, and treatment. Well, one would ask, "What value does this information have if one can not follow through on its advice?" The website provides related resources available through Cedars-Sinai that range from gynecology to detection programs. I got the impression that this website was geniunely committed to helping individuals who seek a simple answer to their medical questions. The layout of the material on this site was presented in an easy to follow fashion. The site has easy to find contact information and states in a detailed terms and conditions' page that Cedars-Sinai Health System is behind all the content that is posted on the site. I give this site a rating of 9 for its overall resourcefulness.