The top-level domain (TLD) “.health” is a relatively new internet domain category that is related specifically to health. Introduced by The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the mission behind the creation of the .health TLD is to provide a specialized virtual space for individuals, organizations, and associations in the healthcare industry and beyond to share credible health-related information online.
The .health TLD acts as a reliable and recognizable marker in the vast internet scape, which helps internet users in quickly identifying websites directly pertaining to health issues, health education, health services, healthcare industry etc. The .health TLD can be used by healthcare providers, hospitals, healthcare companies, health tech startups, health product manufacturers, health educators, as well as individuals and groups advocating health-related causes.
Efforts are made to ensure that the information provided online under the .health TLD is accurate, reliable, and up-to-date. ICANN has taken measures to apply a certain level of scrutiny to potential registrants in order to maintain the credibility of the .health TLD. Organizations such as hospitals, universities, government health departments, non-profit health organizations, and research institutions can be examples of .health TLD users.
A case in point could be the site for Stanford Healthcare (stanfordhealthcare.org), a top healthcare provider in the US. Their domain could shift to stanford.healthcare, making it more intuitive and easy to remember for users seeking credible health information.
Furthermore, resources like Mayo Clinic (mayoclinic.org) a nonprofit medical practice and medical research group could potentially become mayoclinic.health, highlighting both its commitment to health and reiterating its authority in the field. Imagine if websites for popular health products like fitbit.com or myfitnesspal.com change their domains to fitbit.health or myfitnesspal.health respectively, it would reinforce their branding aligned with health & fitness.
The .health TLD, however, is not just limited to these organizations. Individuals, professionals, bloggers, and influencers related to health and wellness can also register for a .health domain, allowing them to create a trustworthy space for health & wellness discussions.
It is important to note that information on the web, even from .health domains, should always be viewed critically and corroborated with other sources, particularly in health matters. Where necessary, professional medical advice should be sought.
Sources:
1. ICANN.org Announces .health Domain for Health Industry (https://www.icann.org)
2. ICANN.org, New gTLD Program (https://newgtlds.icann.org/en/)
3. Health Domain | Get .health (https://get.health/whoisitfor)
4. Stanford Healthcare (https://stanfordhealthcare.org/)
5. Mayo Clinic (https://www.mayoclinic.org/)
