Earlier this summer, Dynamic Chiropractic announced its third annual ChiroMaster awards contest, a program designed to recognize the best individual chiropractic websites on the World Wide Web.
As with past contests, this year's submissions were judged on a variety of criteria, including chiropractic content (information for patients about chiropractic); information about the doctor's practice; technical considerations (download time, navigability, browser compatibility, valid links); and miscellaneous factors (spelling, grammar, contact information, etc.).
Here are the winners:
Care Plus Chiropractic, Inc. (http://www.carepluschiropractic.com)
Admittedly, the CarePlus website does not have all of the features one would expect in a site that receives the ChiroMaster award. For instance, while users can subscribe to an online newsletter and schedule an appointment, the site mentions nothing about the history of chiropractic, nor are there any links to other chiropractic associations.
What earned the ChiroMaster for CarePlus is an interactive movie "Back to Basics." Downloading the movie takes users on a visual tour of the body, highlighting the different areas of the human spine, detailing the vertebral subluxation complex, and describing how patients can benefit from chiropractic care. It's one of the most comprehensive, visually appealing movie files we've ever seen on an individual chiropractic website. If the CarePlus site contained just "Back to Basics" and nothing else, it might still have won a ChiroMaster based on the strength of this one program.
Chiropractic Works (http://www.drhaley.com)
The personal website of Dr. Michael Haley may be somewhat sparse on graphics, but it provides a wealth of information for both new and returning patients. While the site incorporates frames, which may irritate some users, it is easy to navigate, and most of the site's pages will download within five seconds - something users with slower Internet connections will appreciate.
DrHaley.com is divided into 19 sections, including a chart on subluxations and their effects; an e-mail newsletter; and an extensive section of more than 130 chiropractic links. The site even contains a number of audio testimonials from patients, and a "Cyber Coupon" patients can print and bring into the office for a free examination.
Herman Chiropractic Center (http://www.hermanchiropractic.com)
Surveys have shown that people are turning to the Internet in increasing numbers for health information. Surveys have also shown that patients are beginning to seek out health providers that offer options like electronic patient scheduling, e-mail correspondence and online newsletters. Based on those trends, the designers of hermanchiropractic.com should be congratulated for the excellent job they have done in providing such options for their patients.
The highlight of hermanchiropractic. com is its level of patient interaction. Of all the sites reviewed for the ChiroMaster this year, few can compare to Herman Chiropractic in terms of the number of options offered. With just a few mouse clicks, patients can: schedule an appointment on line; read current and past health newsletters; get a free examination and x-ray; send an e-mail to any of the four Herman Chiropractic offices in the area; or ask for one of more than 40 free information packets related to chiropractic and a variety of conditions. The site also contains an excellent "About Chiropractic" section, which is subdivided into pages on chiropractic history, education, and the use of chiropractic in other parts of the world.
Madeira Chiropractic Family Wellness Center (http://www.drmad.com)
A tight, professional-looking page can leave first-time visitors with a favorable impression of their practitioner. Dr. John Madeira's site does just that, delivering information about himself and his practice quickly and concisely.
One nice feature of Dr. Madeira's site is that his mailing address and phone number are listed in the same location on every page, so that people visiting the site will know exactly how to contact his office. Another nice feature, "How Chiropractic Helps You," describes several chiropractic principles, and lists conditions that may indicate the presence of a subluxation.
Physicians Plus (http://www.physiciansplus.net)
As health care becomes more integrated, many DCs have begun including news items and articles about areas of health care other than chiropractic on their websites. One of the best examples of that is physiciansplus.net, with integration a major reason it earned a ChiroMaster award.
The real strength of Physicians Plus is its diversity. The site provides information not just on chiropractic, but traditional medicine, physical therapy and massage therapy. The site also contains a "Conditions and Concerns" area for specific problems, and a handy site index so that users can find the exact page they're looking for.
ShephardFox Clinic (http://www.shephardfox.com)
Another site that earns points not only for its look and feel, but for the amount of information it contains, is shephardfox.com-one of the most "fun" chiropractic sites to visit because of its design. From the dancing skeletons on the site's opening page to the giant animated "SF" shield on its clinic section, shephardfox.com is easily the most visually entertaining site to win this year's ChiroMaster.
But for all its bells and whistles, shephardfox.com contains a surprising amount of information about chiropractic and its practice. The "Frequently Asked Questions" section, for instance, compares the hours of training between chiropractors and medical doctors in Oregon. And the aforementioned "Clinic" section not only contains a map to the practice and an e-mail link or making appointments; it also discusses the practice's philosophy of treating patients and provides a brief clinic history.
Timothy Faulkner Chiropractic (http://www.zspine.com)
Some chiropractic practices spend thousands of dollars to create a professional looking site. Others, like Dr. Timothy Faulkner, use their own knowledge of HTML - and pick the brains of their patients - to create their own pages. Based on the amount of work Dr. Faulkner put into his site, it's difficult to tell his creation apart from one that probably cost several thousand dollars to design.
Zspine.com's 10 sections cover a variety of topics, including the usual practice information (maps, phone/fax numbers, etc.) and a page on chiropractic philosophy. The site also contains a "symptom profiles" page that lists more than a dozen conditions and provides information on how chiropractic can help cure or lessen those conditions.
The Website of Dr. James Edwards (http://www.jamesedwards.com)
Apparently, winning back-to-back ChiroMasters in 1998 and 1999 wasn't enough for James Edwards,DC. Dr. Edwards completely remodeled his site with a new layout. The result: Jamesedwards.com has become the first individual chiropractic website to earn the ChiroMaster award three times.
Few chiropractic websites provide as much information about (and for) the profession as jamesedwards.com. The "Answers to Your Questions" section, for instance, provides an excellent review of chiropractic and lists several studies showing chiropractic effective, safe and less expensive than other forms of care. The site also includes links to every chiropractic licensing board and college in the country, as well as information on Dr. Edwards' own practice in Emporia, Kansas.
ChiroMaster 2001 Contest Coming Next Year
A links page for this year's ChiroMaster award winners has been established on ChiroWeb (http://www.ChiroWeb.com/chiromaster2000.html ). Next year's ChiroMaster contest will be held in the summer of 2000. Look for more information on next year's contest in a future issue of Dynamic Chiropractic.
