Environmental Scan of Parent-Facing Health Information About Antibiotics in US Children's Hospital Websites.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Mangal S
PROVIDER: S-EPMC9214779 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jun
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Publications
Environmental Scan of Parent-Facing Health Information About Antibiotics in US Children's Hospital Websites.
Mangal Sabrina S Arcia Adriana A Carter Eileen E
Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society 20220601 6
Nearly half of free-standing children's hospital websites contain parent-facing resources about antibiotics. Most resources have information on safe antibiotic use, antibiotic resistance, and questions to ask clinicians. Accessibility can be improved by increasing readability, available languages, and multimedia. Future research should evaluate information accuracy, actionability, and comprehension with target audiences. ...[more]
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Project description:BackgroundTrustworthy educational information for patients is critical for increasing their knowledge base and preparing them for shared decision making with clinicians. As the internet has become an important source of health information for many patients, the purpose of this study was to assess the quality and content of websites with educational content about immune checkpoint inhibitors.MethodsWe performed an environmental scan of the currently available websites providing educational information for patients about immune checkpoint inhibitors. We used three search engines: Google, Bing, and Yahoo! (9/20/2021). Two independent investigators selected relevant uniform resource locators (URLs), appraised the quality of the websites, and collected their characteristics. We evaluated the accuracy, completeness, technical elements, design and aesthetics, readability, usability, and accessibility of the websites. The user experience was also evaluated.ResultsWe identified 37 websites for analysis. In 10 websites (27%), it was not possible to know the source of the information provided. Thirty-three (89%) provided a definition with a simple explanation of cancer and treatment and 30 (81%) on complications of immune checkpoint inhibitors; only seven (19%) provided information about the balance between risks and benefits. Thirty-five (95%) provided a statement of purpose. Regarding the design, all 37 (100%) had appropriate visual aspects, typography, and grammar. Thirty-six (97%) were well organized. For most of the websites (n = 35, 95%) the content was easy to find. Only two websites had a readability score of 6, while the others had higher scores. Regarding the user experience, the overall quality of websites was rated as excellent in 16 (43%), good in 14 (38%), and fair in 7 (19%).ConclusionsOur findings reveal that websites with information about immune checkpoint inhibitors mostly have general information about cancer, the treatments, and adverse events. Few websites provide information about the balance between harms and benefits of treatment, costs, the source of the information, or the hierarchy of evidence. These findings identify the gap in the quality and content of websites for patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors and can help website creators and developers.
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Project description:Clinical ethics consultation services (CECS) can be particularly complex in oncology, and widespread misconceptions exist about their nature. As a result, visibility and accessibility of information regarding CECS is critical. We investigated the availability and content of information regarding CECS on websites of NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers and cancer centers (CCs). Each website was reviewed for information on CECS and reviewed for benchmarks partially derived from the American Society of Bioethics and Humanities recommendations for CECS. Our analysis revealed that of 70 NCI-designated center websites, 38 had information on CECS, and 17 were found directly on these sites. When CECS information was available, most websites provided a mission statement (71%) and an explanation of what constitutes an ethics consult (74%). Few provided a description of the consult process (45%) or service membership (39%). Our findings reveal a significant gap in CECS visibility on the websites of NCI-designated CCs.
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Project description:BackgroundOwing to the fact that firefighters have unique health risks, access to firefighter-specific internet-based health information is a potential mechanism for achieving better health and work outcomes.ObjectiveThe objective of our study was to identify the amount and nature of health information resources available on Canadian firefighter-specific websites and the extent to which resources are consistent across websites as a surrogate indicator of diffusion of information.MethodsA search of health resources on firefighter websites (union and employer) for all Canadian provinces, major cities and a subset of smaller cities, and the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) website was conducted on Google (July 2017). Content was identified and classified based on the type of resource, health focus, and location. The quantity and nature of the resources were summarized using descriptive statistics.ResultsAmong all (N=313) websites reviewed, 41 websites had health information with a cumulative total of 128 resources that addressed firefighter mental (59/128, 46.1%), physical (43/128, 33.6%), and work health (26/128, 20.3%). The highest density of information was found on international and national websites (13 resources per website) and the least on local websites (1 resource per 7 websites). Three provinces (Ontario, Québec, and British Columbia) hosted 81% (65/80) of the provincial, territorial and local resources. General mental health (20/59, 34%), posttraumatic stress disorder (14/59, 24%), and suicide (14/59, 24%) were the most prevalent topics within the mental health resources, whereas half (21/43, 49%) of all physical health resources were on cancer. No resources from Northern Canada were found. Musculoskeletal health was not mentioned in any of the resources identified. There was minimal cross-linking of resources across sites (only 4 resources were duplicated across sites), and there was no clear indication of how the content was vetted or evaluated for quality.ConclusionsThere was wide variation in the amount and type of information available on different firefighter websites with limited diffusion of information across jurisdictions. Quality evaluation and coordination of resources should be considered to enhance firefighters' access to quality health information to meet their specific needs. Mental health and cancer information aligned with high rates of these health problems in firefighters, whereas the lack of information on musculoskeletal health was discordant with their high rate of work injury claims for these problems.
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Project description:BackgroundAortic valve replacement is one of the most common cardiac operations currently performed. Patients increasingly use the internet for information about their diagnosis and it would therefore be important to know how reliable this is.AimTo determine the reliability of internet information on aortic valve replacement surgery.Design & settingThis was a web-based project scoring sites that might be accessed by a patient.MethodThe first 50 websites found on each of the four most popular search engines in the UK were viewed, as well as the first 50 videos found on the most popular video-host website. Eligible websites were assessed according to seven positive criteria and three negative criteria, giving a possible range of scores from −6 to 14.ResultsThere were 79 sites and the median score was 5 (range −1 to 14). There were statistically significant differences between organisation/educational sites with score 7 (2 to 14), hospital sites with score 2 (−1 to 10), commercial sites with score 2.5 (0 to 9) and videos with score 5 (2 to 11). The highest scores went to three NHS sites (score 13 or 14), .gov sites (median score 8.5) and Health On the Net Foundation (HON) accredited sites (median score 7).ConclusionInformation on the internet about aortic valve replacement is variable but NHS sites provide the most reliable information.
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Project description:BackgroundChildren's hospitals are faced with the rising need for technological innovation. Their prospective health care consumers, who increasingly depend on the Web and social media for communication and consumer engagement, drive this need. As patients and family members navigate the Web presence of hospitals, it is important for these specialized organizations to present themselves and their services efficiently.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to evaluate the website content of children's hospitals in order to identify opportunities to improve website design and create benchmarks to judge improvement.MethodsAll websites associated with a children's hospital were identified using a census list of all children's hospitals in the United States. In March of 2014, each website and its social media were evaluated using a Web crawler that provided a 5-dimensional assessment that included website accessibility, marketing, content, technology, and usability. The 5-dimensional assessment was scored on a scale ranging from 0 to 10 with positive findings rated higher on the scale. Websites were ranked by individual dimensions as well as according to their average ranking across all dimensions.ResultsMean scores of 153 websites ranged from 5.05 to 8.23 across all 5 dimensions. Results revealed that no website scored a perfect 10 on any dimension and that room exists for meaningful improvement.ConclusionsStudy findings allow for the establishment of baseline benchmarks for tracking future website and social media improvements and display the need for enhanced Web-based consumer engagement for children's hospitals.
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Project description:BackgroundHistorically, the terms sex and gender have been used interchangeably as a binary attribute to describe a person as male or female, even though there is growing recognition that sex and gender are distinct concepts. The lack of sex and gender delineation in electronic health records (EHRs) may be perpetuating the inequities experienced by the transgender and gender nonbinary (TGNB) populations.ObjectiveThis study aims to conduct an environmental scan to understand how sex and gender are defined and implemented in existing Canadian EHRs and current international health information standards.MethodsWe examined public information sources on sex and gender definitions in existing Canadian EHRs and international standards communities. Definitions refer to data element names, code systems, and value sets in the descriptions of EHRs and standards. The study was built on an earlier environment scan by Canada Health Infoway, supplemented with sex and gender definitions from international standards communities. For the analysis, we examined the definitions for clarity, consistency, and accuracy. We also received feedback from a virtual community interested in sex-gender EHR issues.ResultsThe information sources consisted of public website descriptions of 52 databases and 55 data standards from 12 Canadian entities and 10 standards communities. There are variations in the definition and implementation of sex and gender in Canadian EHRs and international health information standards. There is a lack of clarity in some sex and gender concepts. There is inconsistency in the data element names, code systems, and value sets used to represent sex and gender concepts across EHRs. The appropriateness and adequacy of some value options are questioned as our societal understanding of sexual health evolves. Outdated value options raise concerns about current EHRs supporting the provision of culturally competent, safe, and affirmative health care. The limited options also perpetuate the inequities faced by the TGNB populations. The expanded sex and gender definitions from leading Canadian organizations and international standards communities have brought challenges in how to migrate these definitions into existing EHRs. We proposed 6 high-level actions, which are to articulate the need for this work, reach consensus on sex and gender concepts, reach consensus on expanded sex and gender definitions in EHRs, develop a coordinated action plan, embrace EHR change from socio-organizational and technical aspects to ensure success, and demonstrate the benefits in tangible terms.ConclusionsThere are variations in sex and gender concepts across Canadian EHRs and the health information standards that support them. Although there are efforts to modernize sex and gender concept definitions, we need decisive and coordinated actions to ensure clarity, consistency, and competency in the definition and implementation of sex and gender concepts in EHRs. This work has implications for addressing the inequities of TGNB populations in Canada.
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Project description:Community water fluoridation (CWF) is the most effective and equitable approach to preventing dental caries (tooth decay). Yet millions of Americans, especially those at highest risk of caries, do not know what CWF is or its preventive benefits. State health departments are responsible for educating their respective populations. Thus, this study assessed health department websites (N = 50) to determine if CWF content existed, the ease of finding it, and if it was written in plain language and for a consumer audience. We used the web component of the HLE2: The Health Literacy Environment of Hospitals and Health Centers (HLE2) to assess how easy or difficult it was to the navigate a website and find information. Forty-one websites had CWF information; 37 states had content written for a consumer audience. HLE2 scores ranged from 0 to 54 points (60 possible). Only five states had websites with a HLE2 score of 50 or higher. SHDs with higher HLE2 scores were easy to navigate and their content was written for a consumer audience. Study findings suggest most SHDs should improve their website's CWF content and its accessibility to better promote the role of fluoridated water in preventing dental caries.
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Project description:BackgroundThe Internet is a frequently used source of health information. Adolescents in particular seem to be receptive to online health information (OHI) and often incorporate such information in their decision-making processes. Yet, OHI is often incomplete, inaccurate, or unreliable. This study assessed the quality of Hebrew online (non-user-generated) content on oral contraceptives (OC), with regard to accuracy/completeness, credibility, and usability.MethodsTwenty-nine websites in Hebrew, including those of the four Israeli HMOs, were identified and evaluated. The websites were categorized as: HMO, health portal, contraception-specific, promotional-commercial, and life style and women's health. A set of established content parameters was selected by a family planning expert to assess accuracy/completeness. The Health on the Net Foundation Code of Conduct (HONcode) principles were used to assess the websites' reliability. Usability was assessed by applying items selected from the Minervation Validation and the University of Michigan's 'Website Evaluation checklist' scale. Mean scores, standard deviations (SD), and ranges were calculated for all websites and for category-specific websites. Correlation between dimensions and Inter-rater reliability were also examined.ResultsThe mean score for accuracy/completeness was 50.9% for all websites (SD=30.1%, range 8-100%). Many websites failed to provide complete information, or provided inaccurate information regarding what to do when a pill is missed and when to use back-up methods. The average credibility score for all websites was 70.6% (SD=15.1, range=38=98%). The credibility parameters that were most commonly absent were funding source, authoring, date of content creation and last modification, explicit reference to evidence-based information, and references and citations. The average usability score for all websites was 94.5% (SD=6.9%, range 79-100%). A weak correlation was found between the three quality parameters assessed.ConclusionsWide variation was noted in the quality of Hebrew-language OC websites. HMOs' websites scored highest on credibility and usability, and contraceptive-specific websites exhibited the greatest accuracy/completeness. The findings highlight the need to establish quality guidelines for health website content, train health care providers in assisting their patients to seek high quality OHI, and strengthen e-health literacy skills among online-information seekers, including perhaps health professionals.
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