Health care information provided by internet search engines.
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Information Storage and Retrieval↗
SEARCH · PubMed Health
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[Search engines--who, what, how].
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Computer Communication Networks↗
How to make Internet searches easier: tips for effective use of Web search engines.
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Computer Communication Networks↗
Osteosarcoma: evaluation of information on the internet.
The information about osteosarcoma on the existing websites was examined. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the quality of Internet information available to patients on the topic of osteosarcoma. The secondary purpose was to rank the identified websites with respect to the caliber of relevant information provided by the websites sponsors' identity. A great many of people in the world "surf" the World Wide Web, searching for medical information. The information on the Internet varies dramatically in terms of content and quality for lack of uniformed standard with respect to the medical publications on the Internet. Five search engines searched the search terms "osteosarcoma." The first 25 links displayed by each engine were evaluated for a theoretical total of 125 websites. According to the information context, sponsor identity we evaluated each website. An information quality score of 0 to 26 was generated for each site. A score of 20 or greater was thought to be "high-quality" information website. Eighty-nine unique websites were identified, among which only 8 (9%) scored 20 or more on the information quality score; 32 scored 10 or less. The overall mean information quality score was 11.5. The websites with highest mean scores were academic organization and affiliated hospitals of university. The quality of Internet information on osteosarcoma is variable. Less than 10% of relevant websites were of high information value. The rank list of high quality websites from our information quality score should provide useful information of osteosarcoma.
Humans↗
International use of an academic nephrology World Wide Web site: from medical information resource to business tool.
BACKGROUND: Studies of the use of the World Wide Web to obtain medical knowledge have largely focused on patients. In particular, neither the international use of academic nephrology World Wide Web sites (websites) as primary information sources nor the use of search engines (and search strategies) to obtain medical information have been described. METHODS: Visits ("hits") to the Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) Nephrology Service website from April 30, 2000, to March 14, 2001, were analyzed for the location of originating source using Webtrends, and search engines (Google, Lycos, etc.) were analyzed manually for search strategies used. RESULTS: From April 30, 2000 to March 14, 2001, the WRAMC Nephrology Service website received 1,007,103 hits and 12,175 visits. These visits were from 33 different countries, and the most frequent regions were Western Europe, Asia, Australia, the Middle East, Pacific Islands, and South America. The most frequent organization using the site was the military Internet system, followed by America Online and automated search programs of online search engines, most commonly Google. The online lecture series was the most frequently visited section of the website. Search strategies used in search engines were extremely technical. CONCLUSIONS: The use of "robots" by standard Internet search engines to locate websites, which may be blocked by mandatory registration, has allowed users worldwide to access the WRAMC Nephrology Service website to answer very technical questions. This suggests that it is being used as an alternative to other primary sources of medical information and that the use of mandatory registration may hinder users from finding valuable sites. With current Internet technology, even a single service can become a worldwide information resource without sacrificing its primary customers.
District of Columbia↗
[Evaluation tools for patient information commonly used in Germany--a critical analysis].
The value of instruments for the evaluation of health- or patient information is a controversial issue. This article examines instruments that evaluate information materials on the basis of predefined quality criteria for evidence-based patient information. The aim is to prove whether the instruments commonly used in Germany can be recommended. A review of the literature and an internet search engine search were conducted to identify relevant international systematic reviews and instruments commonly used in Germany. Four instruments were identified for Germany: The quality seals "AFGIS" and "HON" and the checklists "Discern" and "Check-In". These were evaluated on the basis of the predefined criteria. The instruments predominantly address structural aspects. Aspects of content and content presentation are rarely considered. The instruments neglect relevant quality criteria for evidence-based patient information.
Evidence-Based Medicine↗
Accessibility, nature and quality of health information on the Internet: a survey on osteoarthritis.
OBJECTIVES: This study aims to determine the quality and validity of information available on the Internet about osteoarthritis and to investigate the best way of sourcing this information. METHODS: Keywords relevant to osteoarthritis were searched across 15 search engines representing medical, general and meta-search engines. Search engine efficiency was defined as the percentage of unique and relevant websites from all websites returned by each search engine. The quality of relevant information was appraised using the DISCERN tool and the concordance of the information offered by the website with the available evidence about osteoarthritis determined. RESULTS: A total of 3443 websites were retrieved, of which 344 were identified as unique and providing information relevant to osteoarthritis. The overall quality of website information was poor. There was no significant difference between types of search engine in sourcing relevant information; however, the information retrieved from medical search engines was of a higher quality. Fewer than a third of the websites identified as offering relevant information cited evidence to support their recommendations. CONCLUSIONS: Although the overall quality of website information about osteoarthritis was poor, medical search engines may provide consumers with the opportunity to source high-quality health information on the Internet. In the era of evidence-based medicine, one of the main obstacles to the Internet reaching its potential as a medical resource is the failure of websites to incorporate and attribute evidence-based information.
Evidence-Based Medicine↗
Evaluation of pediatric surgery information on the Internet.
BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Increasing numbers of parents use the Internet to obtain information about their child's medical diagnosis. Unfortunately, this information is not screened or regulated. The authors sought to evaluate the information available on the Internet regarding intersex anomalies as a representative pediatric surgical diagnosis. METHODS: Six search engines were searched for ambiguous genitalia. The first 30 sites on each search engine were reviewed. Sites were reviewed to identify information that did not conform to accepted recommendations for evaluation and treatment. RESULTS: Searches for ambiguous genitalia and synonyms found 0 to 44,471 sites per search engine. Of the 300 sites reviewed, only 45 represented 8 unique sites offering medical information. Five of these sites conformed to recommendations in 2 standard pediatric surgery texts, whereas 3 offered misleading information or information that did not conform to text recommendations. Of the total 300 sites, only 5 (1.6%) of accessible pages offered appropriate medical information to parents. CONCLUSIONS: Parent-oriented information regarding intersex anomalies is difficult to find on the Internet. Over one third of sites containing medical information failed to conform to standard pediatric surgical recommendations for treatment. Pediatric surgeons should help parents effectively use Internet information.
Child↗
Bioinformatics: searching the Net.
During the past 30 years, there has been an explosion in the volume of published medical information. As this volume has increased, so has the need for efficient methods for searching the data. MEDLINE, the primary medical database, is currently limited to abstracts of the medical literature. MEDLINE searches use AND/OR/NOT logical searching for keywords that have been assigned to each article and for textwords included in article abstracts. Recently, the complete text of some scientific journals, including figures and tables, has become accessible electronically. Keyword and textword searches can provide an overwhelming number of results. Search engines that use phrase searching, or searches that limit the number of words between two finds, improve the precision of search engines. The development of the Internet as a vehicle for worldwide communication, and the emergence of the World Wide Web (WWW) as a common vehicle for communication have made instantaneous access to much of the entire body of medical information an exciting possibility. There is more than one way to search the WWW for information. At the present time, two broad strategies have emerged for cataloging the WWW: directories and search engines. These allow more efficient searching of the WWW. Directories catalog WWW information by creating categories and subcategories of information and then publishing pointers to information within the category listings. Directories are analogous to yellow pages of the phone book. Search engines make no attempt to categorize information. They automatically scour the WWW looking for words and then automatically create an index of those words. When a specific search engine is used, its index is searched for a particular word. Usually, search engines are nonspecific and produce voluminous results. Use of AND/OR/NOT and "near" and "adjacent" search refinements greatly improve the results of a search. Search engines that limit their scope to specific sites, and metasearch sites that use multiple search engines optimized for specific types of searches have recently emerged. The distinctions between search engines and directory searches have blurred. Eventually, conceptual searching in which the computer searches for related ideas, without having to be given all the related keywords, may become a reality. This will free the user from having to learn specific rules about searching, allowing energies to be focused on results of the search, not the search itself.
Computational Biology↗
The pond is wider than you think! Problems encountered when searching family practice literature.
OBJECTIVE: To explain differences in the results of literature searches in British general practice and North American family practice or family medicine. DESIGN: Comparative literature search. SETTING: The Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto in Ontario. METHOD: Literature searches on MEDLINE demonstrated that certain search strategies ignored certain key words, depending on the search engine and the search terms chosen. Literature searches using the key words "general practice," "family practice," and "family medicine" combined with the topics "depression" and then "otitis media" were conducted in MEDLINE using four different Web-based search engines: Ovid, HealthGate, PubMed, and Internet Grateful Med. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The number of MEDLINE references retrieved for both topics when searched with each of the three key words, "general practice," "family practice," and "family medicine" using each of the four search engines. RESULTS: For each topic, each search yielded very different articles. Some search engines did a better job of matching the term "general practice" to the terms "family medicine" and "family practice," and thus improved retrieval. The problem of language use extends to the variable use of terminology and differences in spelling between British and American English. CONCLUSION: We need to heighten awareness of literature search problems and the potential for duplication of research effort when some of the literature is ignored, and to suggest ways to overcome the deficiencies of the various search engines.
Depression↗
Using the World Wide Web to answer clinical questions: how efficient are different methods of information retrieval?
BACKGROUND: The World Wide Web (Web) has the potential to revolutionize information retrieval in medicine. However, the best method of information retrieval from the Web is not known. The purpose of our study was to compare medical search engines, general-purpose search engines, medical meta-lists, and commercial sites on the Web with regard to their efficiency in retrieving medical information. METHODS: Ten questions were identified from a database of questions posed by primary care clinicians. Authoritative answers were identified. Searches were performed using 1 commercial site, 4 general search engines, 9 medicine-specific search engines, and 2 medical meta-lists. The main outcome measures were the number of questions answered by each Web site, the correctness of the answers, the number of links followed to get an answer, and how well documented the answer was using the Health on the Net criteria. RESULTS: MD Consult, a commercial site, answered 6 of 10 questions. Hardin MD (a meta-list) and Excite and HotBot (general search engines) each answered 5 questions. The medicine-specific search engines performed poorly, answering an average of only 1 question. MD Consult and HotBot required the least number of links to find an answer. MD Consult and Hardin MD had the best documented answers. CONCLUSIONS: Medicine-specific search engines on the Web fare poorly in answering clinical questions when compared with general search engines. MD Consult, Excite, HotBot, and Hardin MD found the greatest number of answers.
Efficiency↗
Searching for cancer-related information online: unintended retrieval of complementary and alternative medicine information.
PURPOSE: The Web is an important source of health information for consumers. Use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is also increasing. Therefore, we studied the likelihood that consumers will incidentally encounter CAM information while searching the Web and the factors that influence retrieval of CAM information. METHODS: We evaluated results retrieved by 10 cancer-related searches on six common search engines. RESULTS: Of 1121 search results, 16.2% displayed CAM information. Sponsored (i.e., paid) results were more likely to display CAM information than non-sponsored results (38% versus 7.5%, p < 0.001). In Overture and Google, sponsored results accounted for 51% and 39% of results on the first page. These search engines also retrieved more CAM web pages. Search engines distinguished sponsored and non-sponsored results, but disclosure statements describing the differences were confusing. Cancer type used as the search keyword did not influence the number of CAM web pages retrieved. However, synonyms of cancer differed in their retrieval of CAM web pages (p < 0.001). Consistent with prior studies of Web search engine overlap, we found that 28% of CAM results were retrieved by two or more search engines. CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians should help consumers recognize sponsored results and encourage search engines to clearly explain sponsored results.
Complementary Therapies↗
Ophthalmology on the internet: what do our patients find?
The Internet has become a favorite source of medical information for a growing number of patients. At the same time, content on the Internet represents an amalgamation of viewpoints, commercial interests, and various biases. A common way to access Internet information is through commercial portals with proprietary search engines. Often these search engines prioritize their rank list based on commercial interests. We evaluated whether Internet searches of ophthalmic issues are slanted toward commercial sites and whether any differences exist among the various search engines. We used age-related macular degeneration as an example. In this study, we found that some search engines are heavily tilted toward commercial partnerships, whereas others emphasize sites run by nonprofit and educational organizations. Our findings may guide physicians in recommending to their patients some internet portals rather than others. This type of evaluation can be conducted intermittently by physicians and other health care professionals to assess the type of information that reaches their patients and what biases may be influencing patient knowledge and decision making.
Commerce↗
Usefulness, completeness, and accuracy of Web sites providing information on osteoarthritis in dogs.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the quality of information regarding osteoarthritis (OA) in dogs currently available on the World Wide Web. DESIGN: Survey study. PROCEDURE: 5 search engines were searched with the keywords "dog," "degenerative joint disease," "canine," and "osteoarthritis," and the first 50 sites listed by each search engine were analyzed. Unique Web site addresses were distributed to 3 diplomates of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, who provided a standardized evaluation of each site. RESULTS: 30 unique Web sites were evaluated. Twenty (66%) provided information consistent with conventional knowledge as outlined in textbooks and peer-reviewed literature, 8 (27%) provided experimental or anecdotal information in addition to conventional knowledge, and 2 (7%) provided misleading information. Mean scores for overall usefulness of the information provided in regard to clinical features of and treatment for OA were 1.3 and 1.5, respectively (1 = information of minimal use; 5 = very useful information). Twenty-three (77%) sites encouraged pet owners to seek the advice of a veterinarian. Twenty-three (77%) sites were given overall quality scores < 2, and 7 (23%) were given scores between 2 and 3 (1 = site was counterproductive; 5 = site was very valuable). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results suggest that the quality of information currently available on the Web that addresses OA in dogs is questionable. Although most of the sites conveyed some conventional information with reasonable accuracy, the information was incomplete, of minimal use, and often considered counterproductive.
Animals↗
Herbal cancer cures on the Web: noncompliance with The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act.
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: A significant portion of the US population uses the Internet to obtain health information; nearly half of Internet users admit that this information influences decisions about their health care and medical treatments. Concurrently, approximately one third of the population uses herbal supplements; a higher percentage is noted for subgroups of cancer patients. The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994 contained regulatory standards for herbal supplements, including restricting any claims for disease prevention, treatment, or cure. This study determined the degree of compliance with the DSHEA, as applied to Internet sites focusing on the subject of herbal supplements and cancer. METHODS: Internet searches were conducted using six popular search engines and three master search engines in October-December 2000 using the linked terms herb and cancer. The Internet sites identified through this search process were examined for categories of information including claims regarding prevention, treatment, or cure; commercial nature; DSHEA and physician consultation warnings; country of origin; and use of research and testimonials. Additionally, commercial sites were reviewed to identify tactics used to promote products or services. RESULTS: Each of the six primary search engines provided between 11,730 and 58,605 matches for herb and cancer. Further cross matching with the three master search engines identified 70 non-repeating sites that appeared on all three master search engines. Of these 70 sites, nine were irrelevant matches or no longer functioning. Of the remaining 61, 34 (54%) were commercial sites (CS) and 27 (42.8%) were noncommercial sites (NCS). Of the CS surveyed, prevention, treatment, and cure were discussed 92%, 89%, and 58%, respectively. CS provided testimonials, physician consultation recommendations, and DSHEA warnings 89%, 38.8%, and 36.1% of the time, respectively. CS provided research with references 30.6% of the time versus 92.6% of the time in NCS. All international commercial sites surveyed claimed herbal cancer cures. CONCLUSIONS: Although the DSHEA was enacted and amended to decrease unlawful claims of disease prevention, treatment, and cure, the results of this study indicate that such claims are prevalent on commercial Internet sites. A majority of sites claim cancer cures through herbal supplementation with little regardfor current regulations, and such claims were more common on sites operated from outside the United States.
Advertising↗
Analysis of interactive continence health information on the Web.
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to describe interactive information about continence health promotion for women that is available on Web sites identified by popular search engines or health/medical search engines or that is available on community-based or select health organizations' Web sites. METHODS: We used a variety of search services to search the Web for sites that disseminated information about continence health for women, for example, urinary incontinence, urine loss, and bladder problems. Two reviewers initially evaluated sites to determine if an interactive feature that provided individualized feedback was present. Web sites that had an interactive-with-feedback feature were further examined to delineate the purpose of the site and other descriptive characteristics. We evaluated each site according to content pertaining to continence health information. RESULTS: Most major search engines located more than 100,000 Web sites in the initial search; narrowing the search terms with the words "and women" decreased the number of sites. Only 13 sites with interactive-with-feedback features were located for further evaluation. E-mail was the most common interactive feature; none of the sites contained comprehensive information on continence health promotion. CONCLUSIONS: Web sites exist and are informative in terms of continence health promotion, but they lack an emphasis on self-care and sufficient information to promote it. The functionality of computer technology and the Web has not been maximized for the purpose of delivering continence health information.
Female↗
Adolescents searching for health information on the Internet: an observational study.
BACKGROUND: Adolescents' access to health information on the Internet is partly a function of their ability to search for and find answers to their health-related questions. Adolescents may have unique health and computer literacy needs. Although many surveys, interviews, and focus groups have been utilized to understand the information-seeking and information-retrieval behavior of adolescents looking for health information online, we were unable to locate observations of individual adolescents that have been conducted in this context. OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to understand how adolescents search for health information using the Internet and what implications this may have on access to health information. METHODS: A convenience sample of 12 students (age 12-17 years) from 1 middle school and 2 high schools in southeast Michigan were provided with 6 health-related questions and asked to look for answers using the Internet. Researchers recorded 68 specific searches using software that captured screen images as well as synchronized audio recordings. Recordings were reviewed later and specific search techniques and strategies were coded. A qualitative review of the verbal communication was also performed. RESULTS: Out of 68 observed searches, 47 (69%) were successful in that the adolescent found a correct and useful answer to the health question. The majority of sites that students attempted to access were retrieved directly from search engine results (77%) or a search engine's recommended links (10%); only a small percentage were directly accessed (5%) or linked from another site (7%). The majority (83%) of followed links from search engine results came from the first 9 results. Incorrect spelling (30 of 132 search terms), number of pages visited within a site (ranging from 1-15), and overall search strategy (eg, using a search engine versus directly accessing a site), were each important determinants of success. Qualitative analysis revealed that participants used a trial-and-error approach to formulate search strings, scanned pages randomly instead of systematically, and did not consider the source of the content when searching for health information. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides a useful snapshot of current adolescent searching patterns. The results have implications for constructing realistic simulations of adolescent search behavior, improving distribution and usefulness of Web sites with health information relevant to adolescents, and enhancing educators' knowledge of what specific pitfalls students are likely to encounter.
Adolescent↗
The Internet as a communication tool for academic orthopaedic surgery departments in the United States.
BACKGROUND: The Internet's appeal as an affordable, accessible medium for information transfer makes it a potentially useful tool for practicing physicians. In the past several years, Internet-based health-care companies have proliferated, and many medical centers have established individual web sites. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate academic orthopaedic surgery departments in the United States with respect to Internet visibility and content. METHODS: We reviewed existing web sites for the 154 departments or divisions of orthopaedic surgery currently accredited for resident education by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. The study sample consisted of the 113 departments that had a web page listed in the FREIDA (Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database) database. Each web site was assessed with regard to its informational value in the categories of clinical services, resident education, and physician recruitment. In addition, three commonly employed browsing engines were used to search for individual web sites and to determine their ease of accessibility. RESULTS: In the category of clinical services, sixty-five (57.5%) of the 113 sites provided faculty listings and forty-nine (43.4%) provided office telephone numbers and locations. Only thirteen sites provided information on common orthopaedic conditions, and five had links to other patient-education sites. In the category of resident education, twenty-four sites (21.2%) had online academic schedules, but only two provided access to complete conferences or teaching files. In the category of physician recruitment, ninety-one provided a description of their residency program and fifty-four had information on the application process, but only twenty-six web pages offered detailed departmental statistics. In terms of accessibility, fifty-three programs (46.9%) were identified by one of three popular search engines, seventeen (15%) were identified by more than one search engine, and two (1.8%) were identified by all three. CONCLUSIONS: Academic orthopaedic surgery departments in the United States underutilize the Internet as a source of clinical and educational services. In addition, existing orthopaedic web sites are difficult to access with use of popular search engines. Thus, academic orthopaedic surgery departments in the United States are missing a valuable opportunity to promote awareness of their institutions and to become educational resources for the community.
Academic Medical Centers↗