Challenge to OT Bloggers

Image via Wikipedia

I would like to put forth a challenge to my fellow OT bloggers out there. I have recently become aware of a useful private organization called Health On the Net Foundation. This organization exists to "[promote] and [guide] the deployment of useful and reliable online health information, and its appropriate and efficient use." HON has a code, the HONcode as it is called, that it has created in order to promote a standard of excellence in regards to published online health information. According to the HON website, the HONcode is currently used by more than 6,800 certified websites in more than 118 countries. HON provides a HONcode Accreditation to "any health or medical web site, intended for patients, health workers or the general public, whether or not it has a strictly health or medical focus." Potential sites must apply for certification, after which they are reviewed by HON committee members which are made up from "medical professionals." Once approved by HON, which is not guaranteed, a site must submit to continuing review without notice to ensure continuing compliance. 

Back to my challenge. I suggest that my fellow bloggers review the HONcode, and after attempting to ensure that their posts conform to this standard, apply for certification. I think that this is a system that is long overdue on the web. It has been tried in several, mostly unsuccessful forms that I know of. WebMD is one successful model that uses an "independent medical review committee." However, until now, there hasn't been a unifying code for us little guys who publish privately, mostly for members of our own community. Most occupational therapists are, at least, introduced to the methodology behind research and scientific and technical writing. We now have a standard for web publishers to follow.

Off topic: I would like to ask, in follow up to my article from a few months back, if any of you iPhone users have come across any additional applications that might be useful to occupational therapists. I am putting together another list of apps since that seemed to be such a popular topic. Please feel free to post any of your favorites to the comments that fo