Quality of Health Information for Cervical Cancer Treatment on the Internet
Author Information
Author(s): Selman Tara J, Prakash Trina, Khan Khalid S
Primary Institution: Birmingham Women's Hospital, Birmingham, UK
Hypothesis
The study aims to assess the quality of internet sites providing information on the treatment of cervical cancer.
Conclusion
There is wide variation in the quality of websites available to patients on the treatment of cervical cancer.
Supporting Evidence
- Only one site contained all the credibility and accuracy criteria.
- 38 out of 46 websites were deemed easy to navigate.
- The agreement between lay person and expert was good with only 6 items changed by the expert.
Takeaway
This study found that many websites about cervical cancer treatment are not very reliable, and patients should be careful about where they get their information.
Methodology
A lay person searched the internet for cervical cancer treatment information, and the quality of the sites was assessed by both the lay person and a medical expert using predefined criteria.
Potential Biases
The lay person's lack of medical training may affect the assessment of website quality.
Limitations
The study may not have identified all relevant websites, and the assessment criteria may not cover all aspects of quality.
Participant Demographics
Twenty women aged 25 to 50 were questioned about their internet search strategies.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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