A follow-up study on the quality of alcohol dependence-related information on the web

Abstract

In order to evaluate the one-year evolution of web-based information on alcohol dependence, we re-assessed alcohol-related sites in July 2007 with the same evaluating tool that had been used to assess these sites in June 2006. Websites were assessed with a standardized form designed to rate sites on the basis of accountability, presentation, interactivity, readability, and content quality. The DISCERN scale was also used, which aimed to assist persons without content expertise in assessing the quality of written health publications. Scores were highly stable for all components of the form one year later (r = .77 to .95, p < .01). Analysis of variance for repeated measures showed no time effect, no interaction between time and scale, no interaction between time and group (affiliation categories), and no interaction between time, group, and scale. The study highlights lack of change of alcohol-dependence-related web pages across one year.

How well do websites concerning children’s anxiety answer parents’ questions about treatment choices?

“…In line with findings from research by Coquard et al (2012) indicating a lack of change in website information on alcohol dependence over a one-year period, authors of the current study found that only six out of 26 websites modified their content from the date of the original analysis (2008) to the date of the revised analysis (2013). This is concerning given the demonstrated need for websites to make improvements in the quality of information.…”

“…Of further concern, it has been shown that websites containing inadequate information are not significantly changed to improve this information over time. For example, Coquard, Fernandez, Zullino, and Khazaal (2012) re-assessed alcohol-related websites one year after their original analysis and found a lack of change in information.…”

Effects of expertise on football betting

“…Sports betting is associated with pathological gambling [ 2 ] and is widely available on the Internet [ 3 ], one of the most important means for seeking general, medical, and gambling information [ 4 , 5 ]. There, one can find messages such as “To win at sports betting, you have to prognosticate correctly.…”

“…Probably in connection with these considerations in sport and football betting, defeats have been shown to be more often discussed than wins [ 16 ] and were commonly attributed to unlikely or random events [ 5 ] or were considered a “near win” [ 11 ], whereas wins were attributed to skills in selecting the victorious players. This interpretation probably contributes to an overestimation of betting skills [ 5 ].…”

Quality of information sources about mental disorders: a comparison of Wikipedia with centrally controlled web and printed sources

“…A further limitation involves the comparison of the 2009 version of the Kaplan & Sadock textbook (which is unlikely to contain references to anything published after 2008 at the latest) with websites examined in 2010, which could contain later references. However, there is some evidence that, although websites containing health information have the potential to be continually updated with new information, they are in fact relatively unlikely to change over time periods of 1 or 2 years (Jorm et al 2010; Coquard et al 2011).…”