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At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

PubMed2002

Search systems and medical data quoting from the internet.

The Internet as a new medium also has its use in medicine. Plenty of information which can be found on the world computer network, needs an efficient searching as well as an evaluation system and quoting of the information obtained. Twelve most popular search engines were chosen--9 general: Netscape, Altavista, HotBot, Goggle, Northern Light, Magellan, Infoseek, MSN; 2 specialized medical search engines: Medscape and Medline; and one Croatian search engine: Cross. The efficiency of searching was observed by analyzing the number of obtained pages, their contents and examples of the quoted references from the Internet. The searching was done using the mentioned search engines, and results varied from 2,189,793 network pages found on the Infoseek for the term 'skin cancer' to 0 pages with the search engine Cross for the term 'melanoma+therapy'. When comparing the results for a single term using various search engines, it is concluded that the number of pages varied because of different databases and specialized scooters that search and make indexes. It is possible to use logical operators and more advanced search systems with the majority of search engines. The quoting system is based on mentioning the names of the author and his work, the access date and url (uniform resource locator) addresses of the network pages. Permanent and reliable access to quotations could not be established with previous quotation systems. Dermatologic terms have been well dealt with concerning general population, whereas professionals are recommended to use Medline and reviewed web pages. There have been very few professional and professionally relevant and comprehensive pages on the Internet relative to the total of web pages.

Humans↗

PubMed2004

Searching the Internet for information on prostate cancer screening: an assessment of quality.

OBJECTIVES: To identify how on-line information relating to prostate cancer screening (PCS) is best sourced, whether through general, medical, or meta-search engines, and to assess the quality of that information. METHODS: Websites providing information about PCS were searched across 15 search engines representing three distinct types: general, medical, and meta-search engines. The quality of on-line information was assessed using the DISCERN quality assessment tool. Quality performance characteristics were analyzed by performing Mann-Whitney U tests. Search engine efficiency was measured by each search query as a percentage of the relevant websites included for analysis from the total returned and analyzed by performing Kruskal-Wallis analysis of variance. RESULTS: Of 6690 websites reviewed, 84 unique websites were identified as providing information relevant to PCS. General and meta-search engines were significantly more efficient at retrieving relevant information on PCS compared with medical search engines. The quality of information was variable, with most of a poor standard. Websites that provided referral links to other resources and a citation of evidence provided a significantly better quality of information. In contrast, websites offering a direct service were more likely to provide a significantly poorer quality of information. CONCLUSIONS: The current lack of a clear consensus on guidelines and recommendation in published data is also reflected by the variable quality of information found on-line. Specialized medical search engines were no more likely to retrieve relevant, high-quality information than general or meta-search engines.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMed2004

Informational content of official pharmaceutical industry web sites about treatments for erectile dysfunction.

BACKGROUND: In the last 5 years, several treatments have become available for erectile dysfunction (ED). During this same period, consumer use of the Internet for health information has increased rapidly. In traditional direct-to-consumer advertisements, viewers are often referred to a pharmaceutical company Web site for further information. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the accessibility and informational content of 5 pharmaceutical company Web sites about ED treatments. METHODS: Using 10 popular search engines and 1 specialized search engine, the accessibility of the official pharmaceutical company-sponsored Web site was determined by searching under brand and generic names. One company also manufactures an ED device; this site was also included. A structured, explicit review of information found on these sites was conducted. RESULTS: Of 110 searches (1 for each treatment, including corresponding generic drug name, using each search engine), 68 yielded the official pharmaceutical company Web site within the first 10 links. Removal of outliers (for both brand and generic name searches) resulted in 68 of 77 searches producing the pharmaceutical company Web site for the brand-name drug in the top 10 links. Although all pharmaceutical company Web sites contained general information on adverse effects and contraindications to use, only 2 sites gave actual percentages. Three sites provided references for their materials or discussed other treatment or drug options, while 4 of the sites contained profound advertising or emotive content. None mentioned cost of the therapy. CONCLUSIONS: The information contained on pharmaceutical company Web sites for ED treatments is superficial and aimed primarily at consumers. It is largely promotional and provides only limited information needed to effectively compare treatment options.

Advertising↗

PubMed2001

First-year medical students' impressions of the Internet.

Physicians are becoming aware of the World Wide Web as a resource for medical information. In spring 1999, first-year students at the University of Louisville's School of Medicine were given an assignment to review and evaluate Internet search engines and directories, medicine-specific search engines and meta lists, and health-related Web sites. Students found that general search engines were easier to learn and use and produced better results than either meta medical sites or medicine-specific search engines. Students were very severe in judging the quality of health-related Web sites. Our students' impressions are compared to those of physicians in similar studies. Solutions to the problems of searching the Web for health information are reviewed.

Attitude to Computers↗

PubMed2004

Retrieval comparison of EndNote to search MEDLINE (Ovid and PubMed) versus searching them directly.

Using EndNote version 7.0, the authors tested the search capabilities of the EndNote search engine for retrieving citations from MEDLINE for importation into EndNote, a citation management software package. Ovid MEDLINE and PubMed were selected for the comparison. Several searches were performed on Ovid MEDLINE and PubMed using EndNote as the search engine, and the same searches were run on both Ovid and PubMed directly. Findings indicate that it is preferable to search MEDLINE directly rather than using EndNote. The publishers of EndNote do warn its users about the limitations of their product as a search engine when searching external databases. In this article, the limitations of EndNote as a search engine for searching MEDLINE were explored as related to MeSH, non-MeSH, citation verification, and author searching.

Database Management Systems↗

PubMed2002

The nature and quality of periodontal related patient information on the world-wide web.

BACKGROUND: The internet provides a potentially invaluable source of health education material for members of the public. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the nature and quality of periodontal-related patient information on the world-wide web. METHODS: The search term ' "gum disease" AND "patient information" ' was entered into three common internet search engines. The top 50 sites identified by each search engine were downloaded and assessed for authorship, content, accord with accepted dental practice, currency, and references to peer reviewed data. RESULTS: The search term returned in excess of 3,615 hits across the three search engines. Of the top 150 identified, 68 were deemed relevant to patients seeking information on periodontal disease. Of these, 17 were duplicated either within or between search engines, therefore the following analysis is based on the remaining 51 sites. The majority of sites (25) were authored by individual dental practitioners, with sites originating in the USA predominating (80%). Information on the aetiology, signs and symptoms, and treatment options for periodontal disease was provided by 38, 38, and 29 sites respectively. This information was deemed in accordance with conventional periodontal practice in 27, 33, and 23 cases respectively. Only seven sites indicated the currency of the information and five provided peer-reviewed references for further reading. The rank order identified by the search engines meant that sites providing comprehensive and authoritative information, were not readily differentiable from sites whose primary objective was promoting attendance at specific dental practices. CONCLUSIONS: Judicious and active support from professionals is required to aid patients' interpretation of the information identified and to direct them to the most instructive sites.

Dentist-Patient Relations↗

PubMed2005

The zeitgeist of online health search. Implications for a consumer-centric health system.

BACKGROUND: Health care queries rank among the most frequent topics of information-seeking activity initiated by users of commercial search engines. The quality of information located through existing search engine technology has received little attention, especially when considering the widely varied knowledge levels of internet users. OBJECTIVE: This study sought to create a benchmark technology assessment of online health search trends and practices, with corresponding evaluation of its applicability within the Federal Health Architecture (FHA) plan for a nationwide, interoperable health information infrastructure. DESIGN: Exploratory technology assessment, analyzing focus group participants' views on barriers to effective health information searching, using existing commercial search engine technologies and methods. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Focus group, national leaders in electronic health care (e-health). RESULTS: A variety of web-based assessment tools are available for consumers to be able to identify reliable health websites; however, many may be too difficult for the layperson to use or understand. Existing search technologies are increasingly powerful, although the expanding volume of information on the internet suggests the need for better mediated searching. Search engines provide consumers a means for quickly bypassing information that appears too technical for their individual knowledge level, and at times, searchers often overlook critical information most relevant to their needs. Overall, existing search technologies need to be more interactive, visible, and context-driven, and supported by better technology assessment methodologies, scalability of information, and enhanced access by underserved subgroups. CONCLUSION: Future technology assessments are needed to provide structure for interoperability of health information systems, especially where consumers, providers, and payer systems intersect. State-of-the-art search engine technologies are still not widely available to those who can benefit most from them.

Benchmarking↗

PubMed1999

The Internet and patient education--resources and their reliability: focus on a select urologic topic.

OBJECTIVES: The information revolution triggered by the rapid growth of the Internet has allowed healthcare providers and patients to access a rapidly expanding volume of information. To address the quality of this information, a survey of the data on a single urology-related topic available on the Internet was performed. METHODS: The search on the World Wide Web (Web) was performed using the search engine HotBot and search directory Yahoo. The Web pages were assessed according to their relevancy to the topic chosen. Relevance rates were derived from the number of relevant sites divided by the total number of sites found. Relevant sites were subsequently ranked for quality on the basis of their accuracy, comprehensiveness, and objectivity. HotBot was then subsequently divided by domain, with each assessed separately. Yahoo was analyzed in its entirety. The resources were then compared for relevance and quality of information. RESULTS: When using the keyword "Viagra," HotBot responded with 15,109 hits. Yahoo presented 51 hits under the category, "Health: Pharmacy: Drugs and Medications: Specific Drugs and Medications: Viagra (Sildenafil)." The relevance rate for the first 50 hits in the search engine HotBot was 0.08. The relevance rates for the edu and org domains found by HotBot were 0.22 and 0.24, respectively; those for com and net were both 0.10. The relevance rate for the search directory Yahoo was 0.20. For relevant sites, the quality of the information presented was significantly higher in the Yahoo and in the HotBot domains hosted by nonprofit organizations when compared with HotBot in general and with its commercially oriented domains. HotBot overall was found to contain seven excellent sites, of which only three were found within Yahoo. CONCLUSIONS: Although the medical information available on the Web has proliferated at a remarkable rate, the number of Web sites providing complete, nonbiased information continues to represent only a small portion of the total. We have shown that the search directory Yahoo reduced the number of irrelevant sites significantly, but at the same time, some very valuable information available in HotBot was missing. At present, it may be useful to conduct searches within Yahoo followed by a review of both the edu and org HotBot domains.

Erectile Dysfunction↗

PubMed1998

A multi-agent softbot to retrieve medical information on Internet.

World-Wide Web is a media where information is unstructured, distributed, multimedia and multilingual. Many tools have been developed to help users search for information: subject hierarchies, general search engines, browsers and search assistants. Although helpful, they show serious limitations, mainly in terms of precision, multilingual indexing and distribution. The M.A.R.V.I.N. project (Multi Agent Retrieval Vagabond on Information Networks) proposes solutions with a distribution of the indexing task in agents specialized in a given domain. M.A.R.V.I.N. has been successfully applied to the medical domain. The medical index and its associated search engine MedHunt (Medical Hunter) demonstrate the interest of such an approach with currently 50,000 indexed medical sites and more than 100,000 accesses each month.

Abstracting and Indexing↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Health information on the Internet: accessibility, quality, and readability in English and Spanish.

CONTEXT: Despite the substantial amount of health-related information available on the Internet, little is known about the accessibility, quality, and reading grade level of that health information. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate health information on breast cancer, depression, obesity, and childhood asthma available through English- and Spanish-language search engines and Web sites. DESIGN AND SETTING: Three unique studies were performed from July 2000 through December 2000. Accessibility of 14 search engines was assessed using a structured search experiment. Quality of 25 health Web sites and content provided by 1 search engine was evaluated by 34 physicians using structured implicit review (interrater reliability >0.90). The reading grade level of text selected for structured implicit review was established using the Fry Readability Graph method. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: For the accessibility study, proportion of links leading to relevant content; for quality, coverage and accuracy of key clinical elements; and grade level reading formulas. RESULTS: Less than one quarter of the search engine's first pages of links led to relevant content (20% of English and 12% of Spanish). On average, 45% of the clinical elements on English- and 22% on Spanish-language Web sites were more than minimally covered and completely accurate and 24% of the clinical elements on English- and 53% on Spanish-language Web sites were not covered at all. All English and 86% of Spanish Web sites required high school level or greater reading ability. CONCLUSION: Accessing health information using search engines and simple search terms is not efficient. Coverage of key information on English- and Spanish-language Web sites is poor and inconsistent, although the accuracy of the information provided is generally good. High reading levels are required to comprehend Web-based health information.

Consumer Advocacy↗

PubMed2005

PSST-2.0: Protein Data Bank Sequence Search Tool.

UNLABELLED: PSST-2.0 (Protein Data Bank [PDB] Sequence Search Tool) is an updated version of the earlier PSST (Protein Sequence Search Tool), and the philosophy behind the search engine has remained unchanged. PSST-2.0 is a Web-based, interactive search engine developed to retrieve required protein or nucleic acid sequence information and some of its related details, primarily from sequences derived from the structures deposited in the PDB (the database of 3-dimensional [3-D] protein and nucleic acid structures). Additionally, the search engine works for a selected subset of 25% or 90% non-homologous protein chains. For some of the selected options, the search engine produces a detailed output for the user-uploaded, 3-D atomic coordinates of the protein structure (PDB file format) from the client machine through the Web browser. The search engine works on a locally maintained PDB, which is updated every week from the parent server at the Research Collaboratory for Structural Bioinformatics, and hence the search results are up to date at any given time. AVAILABILITY: PSST-2.0 is freely accessible via http://pranag.physics.iisc.ernet.in/psst/ or http://144.16.71.10/psst/.

Algorithms↗

PubMed2004

Informing, advising, or persuading? An assessment of bone mineral density testing information from consumer health websites.

UNLABELLED: Greater access to web-based information on health-care interventions might result in greater participation by patients in care and self-care decisions, but only improve health outcomes if the indicated actions produce the intended benefits. Unbiased research on benefits and harms of health information can provide a basis for evidence-based patient information systems. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the quality of the information content on bone-mineral density (BMD) testing posted on consumer health websites (CHWS). METHODS: Five popular engines (Yahoo, MSN, AOL, Lycos, and Go.com) were used to search for patient information on bone densitometry. The fifteen websites that supplied relevant content and were identified by three of the five search engines were selected in order of popularity of the search engine and primacy of placement. Six BMD reports from health technology assessment (HTA) organizations were used as a standard of scientific quality. These were identified from the HTA Database at York University United Kingdom and published between 1996 and 2001. Content was extracted from both document types, and these sets were compared independently by two reviewers. RESULTS: The majority of CHWS identified by popular search engines do not disclose the limited capacity of BMD to discriminate between low-risk individuals and those who will suffer future fractures. CHWS generally present BMD testing as quick, painless, noninvasive, and as being recommended, based on risk factors that are widespread among the general public. BMD testing information is prominently paired on CHWS sites with information on osteoporosis, with an emphasis on "silent disease" and the devastating consequences of advanced disease. Sponsors of CHWS sites are frequently either providers of BMD testing or companion drugs, and consequently in a position of conflict of interest with regard to decisions to undergo BMD testing. HTA organizations have no documented conflict of interest, nor do they invoke emotional arguments. Their approach is to emphasize the effects of testing on populations, on the basis of referenced research findings. CONCLUSIONS: Content analysis demonstrates the omissions and divergence of information on BMD testing available to consumers on the Internet, as compared with HTA reports. The content of HTA reports has undergone rigorous systematic and peer review; therefore, their findings may be useful to consumers. This information is not generally accessible to patients using the most popular Internet search engines. Inaccurate and incomplete information may cause harm by deflecting patients from optimal decisions.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗

PubMed2005

Vaccination or immunization? The impact of search terms on the internet.

With steadily rising use of the Internet as a source of health information, public health authorities have expressed concern about the increasing visibility of unscientific information promulgated on the Internet by opponents of childhood vaccination. Searches were made on the four most popular Internet search engines using different combinations of the terms, "vaccination," "immunization," "immunisation," "immunize," "immunise," "vaccine," and "shots." Thirty results were tabulated for each search engine. Searching with the keyword "vaccination" resulted in a significantly higher percentage of antivaccination websites as compared with searches with all other keywords. Of all child-related websites retrieved, the single keyword "vaccination" yielded 40% provaccination sites and 60% antivaccination sites. By contrast, the single keyword "immunization" yielded 98% provaccination sites and 2% antivaccination sites. Using a combination of the words "vaccination" and "immunization" produced results between these two extremes. Thus, any use of the term "vaccination" during an Internet search is likely to expose a parent to a significant amount of antivaccination information. Recommendations are discussed for future research and methods to reduce the impact of misinformation on health consumers using the Internet.

Humans↗

PubMed1999

Internet use in radiology: results of a nationwide survey.

PURPOSE: To determine the number of radiologists who currently have Internet access, their use patterns on the Internet for Radiology purposes, the web sites they would recommend, and the potential site access to the Internet that they would like to see in the future. In addition, this study analyzed the best way to find nationwide radiological sites and their content. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a nationwide survey, 854 Austrian radiologist were asked to fill out and return a questionnaire about Internet access, current problems, current and future use, which web site they recommend, and about the use of e-mail. Next, the available nationwide radiological sites were searched with seven major search engines using 37 different keywords, as well as by category search, and by searching for links on the homepages of the radiological departments of all Universities of Austria. Then, the offered information of the founded pages was classified in categories. RESULTS: Of the 210 (24.6%) radiologists who returned the questionnaire, 154 (73%) had Internet access. Time expenditure was considered the main problem using the Internet. The Internet was used for literature research by 69% of the radiologists with Internet access, for e-mail by 60%, and for congress information by 57%. In future, 43% would like to read electronic journals more often and 39% would like to use the web more intensively for scientific congresses. At the present time, we found 17 radiological web sites in Austria. The most promising way to find these sites was to use the search engines Alta Vista and Hotbot. Fifteen (88%) sites offered information for patients, seven (41%) for radiologists, five (29%) for students, and four (24%) for researchers. SUMMARY: Many radiologists in Austria already have Internet access, although time expenditure was considered the main problem with Internet use. Survey responses showed a need for electronic journals. To our point of view, Universities and radiological societies are urged to publish journals electronically on the Web. Alta Vista and Hotbot were the best search engines for radiological sites in our setting, and a careful reading of the specific search engine's instructions is recommended. In our experience, Web pages with clear structure, small file size, precise HTML keyword editing, and page titles, facilitate more accurate discovery of specific sites. In addition, there seems to be a need for regular publication of reviewed radiological link collections and the establishment of standards for teleconsulting.

Austria↗

PubMed2003

Surgical informatics on the Internet: any improvement?

PURPOSE: The Internet is a popular, but ungoverned, source of medical information. This study tracked the change in performance of commonly available search engines and the quality of medical data therein over a four-year period. METHODS: We compared the accuracy of information on a commonly performed surgical procedure (vasectomy) using six standard search engines in a four-year period and with two recently developed search engines. The top 25 ranked sites cited by each search engine were scored for description of the procedure, post-operative instructions, complications and unproven associations. RESULTS: There was no improvement in quality of individual sites over the study period. Additionally, the hit rate of search engines remained poor with 27 sites cited (40%) in 2002 either irrelevant or unavailable. DISCUSSION: Few useful sites with accurate information on surgical procedures are available on the Internet and simple search strategies fail to identify site quality or relevancy. CONCLUSION: At present, the Internet cannot be recommended as a reliable resource for many aspects of health information for patients. The onus is on health-care providers to provide high quality sites and direct patients to these sources of reliable information

Humans↗

PubMed2003

How do consumers search for and appraise information on medicines on the Internet? A qualitative study using focus groups.

BACKGROUND: Many consumers use the Internet to find information about their medicines. It is widely acknowledged that health information on the Internet is of variable quality and therefore the search and appraisal skills of consumers are important for selecting and assessing this information. The way consumers choose and evaluate information on medicines on the Internet is important because it has been shown that written information on medicines can influence consumer attitudes to and use of medicines. OBJECTIVE: To explore consumer experiences in searching for and appraising Internet-based information on medicines. METHODS: Six focus groups (N = 46 participants) were conducted in metropolitan Sydney, Australia from March to May 2003 with consumers who had used the Internet for information on medicines. Verbatim transcripts of the group discussions were analyzed using a grounded theory approach. RESULTS: All participants reported using a search engine to find information on medicines. Choice of search engine was determined by factors such as the workplace or educational environments, or suggestions by family or friends. Some participants found information solely by typing the medicine name (drug or brand name) into the search engine, while others searched using broader terms. Search skills ranged widely from more-advanced (using quotation marks and phrases) to less-than-optimal (such as typing in questions and full sentences). Many participants selected information from the first page of search results by looking for keywords and descriptions in the search results, and by looking for the source of the information as apparent in the URL. Opinions on credible sources of information on medicines varied with some participants regarding information by pharmaceutical companies as the "official" information on a medicine, and others preferring what they considered to be impartial sources such as governments, organizations, and educational institutions. It was clear that although most participants were skeptical of trusting information on the Internet, they had not paid conscious attention to how they selected information on medicines. Despite this, it was evident that participants viewed the Internet as an important source for information on medicines. CONCLUSIONS: The results showed that there was a range of search and appraisal skills among participants, with many reporting a limited awareness of how they found and evaluated Internet-based information on medicines. Poor interpretation of written information on medicines has been shown to lead to anxiety and poor compliance to therapy. This issue is more important for Internet-based information since it is not subject to quality control and standardization as is written information on medicines. Therefore, there is a need for promoting consumer search and appraisal skills when using this information. Educating consumers in how to find and interpret Internet-based information on medicines may help them use their medicines in a safer and more-effective way.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Pharmaceutical company internet sites as sources of information about antidepressant medications.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the informational content of nine pharmaceutical company websites about the antidepressant medication marketed by the company. METHOD: A structured, explicit review of materials found on pharmaceutical company websites about nine antidepressants for which no generic drug is available was conducted using eight popular search engines. The accessibility of these websites was also determined using these search engines. RESULTS: Of 72 searches (one for each drug using each search engine), 46 yielded the pharmaceutical company website within the top 10 links. When outliers were removed, the company website was found in the top 10 links for 45 of 56 searches. All of the websites contain information of an advertising and emotive nature. Of the nine company websites, three contain anecdotal information; only two mention electroconvulsive therapy and four mention other types of drug therapy; and only one mentions the tradenames of other drugs. None of the websites mention drug costs, only one has efficacy statistics for the company's drug and, although all of the websites mention at least one adverse effect of the company's drug, only one lists percentages for adverse effects. CONCLUSION: The information about drugs for treating depression on pharmaceutical company websites aimed at consumers is limited and makes it difficult for consumers to compare drugs.

Antidepressive Agents↗

PubMed2001

The quest for information: a guide to searching the Internet.

Searching the Internet effectively necessitates the use of contemporary software programs commonly known as "search engines" to locate desired and meaningful information. Knowing how to effectively and efficiently utilize such search engines is critical for effective and efficient knowledge-seeking activities by the practitioner. Three categories of search engines are described in this article along with an explanation of strategies to maximize the efficiency of searching by appropriately using keywords and supplemental search operators. Examples of major search engines are included in the discussion.

Abstracting and Indexing↗