This summer (2001), Dynamic Chiropractic announced plans for its fourth annual ChiroMaster awards contest. For those new to the awards, the ChiroMaster recognizes the best individual chiropractic sites on the Web.

As in previous contests, this year's ChiroMaster contestants had their sites judged on a variety of criteria: content (specifically, accurate, easy-to-read information for patients about chiropractic); information about the doctor's practice; technical considerations (such as how quickly the home page downloads; ability to navigate the site easily; compatibility with Web browsers (like Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer); valid links; and miscellaneous factors (spelling, grammar, correct contact information, and when the site was last updated, etc.).
Based on this criteria, here are this year's ChiroMaster award winners:

The Chiropractic Village (http://www.thechiropracticvillage.com)

All the bells and whistles in the world won't make people return to a website if it isn't user-friendly and doesn't contain content the average person can understand and enjoy. That's one of the nice things about The Chiropractic Village, a personal website created by Dr. Gilbert Youdeem. What it may lack in cutting-edge features, it makes up for with a simple, straight-ahead web design that is visually appealing and easy to navigate.

The Chiropractic Village is divided into 12 sections, the highlight of which is its "Frequently Asked Questions" page. The FAQ page contains informative, well-written answers to 12 of the most common questions patients might ask about chiropractic or chiropractors. Combined with the "Can Chiropractic Help Me?" section, these two pages provide information on dozens of conditions to new and prospective patients. For patients concerned about their privacy, The Chiropractic Village includes an online service agreement, which states unequivocally that Dr. Youdeem does not sell or share patient information with any third parties. This is very important in an age where privacy and access to confidential online information is becoming a big concern. This is an interesting site, and worthy of frequent visits.