Using the Google™ Search Engine for Health Information: Is There a Problem? Case Study: Supplements for Cancer.

ABSTRACT: We assessed the quality of online health and nutrition information using a Google™ search on "supplements for cancer". Search results were scored using the Health Information Quality Index (HIQI), a quality-rating tool consisting of 12 objective criteria related to website domain, lack of commercial aspects, and authoritative nature of the health and nutrition information provided. Possible scores ranged from 0 (lowest) to 12 ("perfect" or highest quality). After eliminating irrelevant results, the remaining 160 search results had median and mean scores of 8. One-quarter of the results were of high quality (score of 10-12). There was no correlation between high-quality scores and early appearance in the sequence of search results, where results are presumably more visible. Also, 496 advert

SUBMITTER: Cai HC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8059196 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature