The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Medical Information on the Internet

Kim, Ryul; Kim, Han Joon; Jeon, Beomseok

doi:10.1002/mds.27324

Cited by 13 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 36 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Some studies found that physicians use predetermined browsers in their mobile phones to access SNSs, search clinical practice guidelines or patient information, or access medical information through the Web [37,38]. Our survey may not have caught this functionality, carried out with mobile phones.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Social Networking App Use Among Primary Health Care Professionals: Web-Based Cross-Sectional Survey

Marín-Gomez¹,

Cuyàs²,

Reig-Bolaño³

et al. 2018

JMIR Mhealth Uhealth

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

BackgroundSeveral studies have been conducted to analyze the role social networks play in communication between patients and health professionals. However, there is a shortage of studies in relation to communication among primary health professionals, in a professional context, using the various mobile phone apps available.ObjectiveThe objective of our study was to explore mobile phone social networking app use among primary health care professionals for work-related purposes, by comparing the most widely used apps in the market.MethodsWe undertook a cross-sectional study using an anonymous Web survey among a convenience sample of 1635 primary health care professionals during August and September 2017.ResultsOf 483 participants in the survey, 474 (98.1%, 95% CI 97.1%-99.4%) were health professionals who commonly accessed social networking sites and 362 (74.9%, 95% CI 71.1%-78.8%) accessed the sites in a work-related context. Of those 362 respondents, 219 (96.7%, 95% CI 94.8%-98.5%) preferred WhatsApp for both personal and professional uses. Of the 362 respondents who used social networking sites in a work-related context, 276 (76.2%, 95% CI 71.9%-80.6%) rated social networking sites as useful or very useful to solve clinical problems, 261 (72.1%, 95% CI 67.5%-76.7%) to improve their professional knowledge, and 254 (70.2%, 95% CI 65.5%-74.9%) to speed up the transmission of clinical information. Most of them (338/362, 94.8%, 95% CI 92.5%-97.0%) used social networking sites for interprofessional communications, and 204 of 362 (56.4%, 95% CI 51.2%-61.5%) used them for pharmacological-related consultations.ConclusionsHealth professionals frequently accessed social networking sites using their mobile phones and often for work-related issues. This trend suggests that social networking sites may be useful tools in primary care settings, but we need to ensure the security of the data transfer process to make sure that social networking sites are used appropriately. Health institutions need to increase information and training activities to ensure the correct use of these tools.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Social Networking App Use Among Primary Health Care Professionals: Web-Based Cross-Sectional Survey

Marín-Gomez¹,

Cuyàs²,

Reig-Bolaño³

et al. 2018

JMIR Mhealth Uhealth

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In a different study, 36% of PwP identified the Internet as their main source of PD-specific knowledge [ 16 ]. The accuracy, releva-nce, and quality of the information online can however vary [ 26 ] and concerns have been raised both by clinicians and PwP of the difficulty for PwP to separate “hope from hype” [ 27 ]. One example is a study of how DBS is represented in videos on Youtube; as “a technological fix”, while the more complex impacts of the procedure are not elaborated on [ 28 ].…”

Section: What Do Pwp Want From Digital Health?mentioning

confidence: 99%

A Long Way to Go: Patient Perspectives on Digital Health for Parkinson’s Disease

Riggare

Stamford

Hägglund

2021

JPD

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Digital health promises to improve healthcare, health, and wellness through the use of digital technologies. The purpose of this commentary is to review and discuss the field of digital health for Parkinson’s disease (PD) focusing on the needs, expectations, and wishes of people with PD (PwP). Our analysis show that PwP want to use digital technologies to actively manage the full complexity of living with PD on an individual level, including the unpredictability and variability of the condition. Current digital health projects focusing on PD, however, does not live up to the expectations of PwP. We conclude that for digital health to reach its full potential, the right of PwP to access their own data needs to be recognised, PwP should routinely receive personalised feedback based on their data, and active involvement of PwP as an equal partner in digital health development needs to be the norm.

show abstract

“…This in turn will provide readers with the clarity they need to assess the quality of web-based health information and identify reputable websites. Moreover, websites with outdated information and no supporting statements can mislead readers, resulting in adverse health consequences [65][66][67].…”

Section: Principal Findingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interactivity, Quality, and Content of Websites Promoting Health Behaviors During Infancy: 6-Year Update of the Systematic Assessment

Jawad¹,

Cheng²,

Wen³

et al. 2022

J Med Internet Res

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background As of 2021, 89% of the Australian population are active internet users. Although the internet is widely used, there are concerns about the quality, accuracy, and credibility of health-related websites. A 2015 systematic assessment of infant feeding websites and apps available in Australia found that 61% of websites were of poor quality and readability, with minimal coverage of infant feeding topics and lack of author credibility. Objective We aimed to systematically assess the quality, interactivity, readability, and comprehensibility of information targeting infant health behaviors on websites globally and provide an update of the 2015 systematic assessment. Methods Keywords related to infant milk feeding behaviors, solid feeding behaviors, active play, screen time, and sleep were used to identify websites targeting infant health behaviors on the Google search engine on Safari. The websites were assessed by a subset of the authors using predetermined criteria between July 2021 and February 2022 and assessed for information content based on the Australian Infant Feeding Guidelines and National Physical Activity Recommendations. The Suitability Assessment of Materials, Quality Component Scoring System, the Health-Related Website Evaluation Form, and the adherence to the Health on the Net code were used to evaluate the suitability and quality of information. Readability was assessed using 3 web-based readability tools. Results Of the 450 websites screened, 66 were included based on the selection criteria and evaluated. Overall, the quality of websites was mostly adequate. Media-related sources, nongovernmental organizations, hospitals, and privately owned websites had the highest median quality scores, whereas university websites received the lowest median score (35%). The information covered within the websites was predominantly poor: 91% (60/66) of the websites received an overall score of ≤74% (mean 53%, SD 18%). The suitability of health information was mostly rated adequate for literacy demand, layout, and learning and motivation of readers. The median readability score for the websites was grade 8.5, which is higher than the government recommendations (<grade 8). Overall, 74% (49/66) of the websites obtained a poor rating for interactivity, measuring active control, 2-way communication, and synchronicity. The most common features found on websites were social media links (61/66, 92%), frequently asked questions (48/66, 73%), and videos (44/66, 67%). Only 14% (9/66) of websites presented culturally responsive information. Conclusions Quality, content, readability, and interactivity of websites promoting health behaviors during infancy ranged between poor and adequate. Since the 2015 systematic assessment, there was a slight improvement in the quality of websites but no difference in the Suitability Assessment of Materials rating and readability of information. There is a need for researchers and health care providers to leverage innovative web-based platforms to provide culturally competent evidence-based information based on government guidelines that are accessible to those with limited English proficiency.

show abstract

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Medical Information on the Internet

Cited by 13 publications

References 36 publications

Social Networking App Use Among Primary Health Care Professionals: Web-Based Cross-Sectional Survey

Social Networking App Use Among Primary Health Care Professionals: Web-Based Cross-Sectional Survey

A Long Way to Go: Patient Perspectives on Digital Health for Parkinson’s Disease

Interactivity, Quality, and Content of Websites Promoting Health Behaviors During Infancy: 6-Year Update of the Systematic Assessment

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About