P018 INTERNET DIETS: ONLINE INFORMATION REGARDING NUTRITIONAL TREATMENTS FOR IBD

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S53-S54
Author(s):  
Scott Baumgartner ◽  
Vinay Rao ◽  
Ali Khan ◽  
Marie Borum
Keyword(s):  
Nutritional Therapy ◽  
Elimination Diet ◽  
Online Resources ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Online Information ◽  
Primary Therapy ◽  
Academic Websites ◽  
Fodmap Diet ◽  
Google Search ◽  
Academic Resources

Abstract Background Nutrition is a vital component in the management of IBD and can be an effective primary therapy for many patients. Certain types of diets, including the Western diet, have been speculated to be associated with increased IBD risk or exacerbations. There are currently no specific dietary recommendations for IBD risk reduction. However, online resources may offer nutritional guidance to patients seeking information. This study evaluated specific nutritional and dietary treatment information for IBD on the Internet. Methods Google search engine was used to query “nutrition and inflammatory bowel disease” to obtain the first 100 websites. Websites that were non-accessible, duplicates, videos without transcripts, or evaluated animal models were excluded. Websites were categorized as informational or academic/professional. Websites were reviewed for discussion of specific nutritional treatments, acknowledgement of areas of uncertainty and references. Statistical analysis was performed using a two-tailed Fisher’s Exact Test with a significance value set at p <0.05. Results 89 (50 informational, 39 academic) met the inclusion criteria. No websites were commercial or personal. 49 (55%) websites discussed nutrition as a treatment modality. Enteral nutrition was discussed in 38 (77.6%), probiotics in 22 (44.9%), parenteral nutrition in 21 (42.9%), elimination diet in 19 (38.8%), and low FODMAP diet in 15 (30.6%). Academic resources discussed specific nutritional therapy more often than informational resources (82.1% and 45.0%, respectively; p=0.003) (Figure 1). Academic resources acknowledged areas of uncertainty more frequently than informational resources (64.1% and 30.0%, respectively; p=0.024). Academic resources cited references significantly more often than informational resources (80.9% and 10.6%, respectively; p<0.0001). Discussion This study shows that the most commonly discussed nutritional therapy was enteral feedings (77.6%), followed by probiotics (44.9%), parenteral feeding (42.9%), elimination diet (38.8%), and the low FODMAP diet (30.6%). Academic websites discussed dietary options significantly more than informational websites. These results suggest that there is a paucity in consumer-oriented literature regarding nutrition in IBD. Academic websites are the primary online resources for information about nutrition in IBD, discuss areas of uncertainty, and offer references. As patients with IBD are increasingly utilizing the Internet for recommendations regarding disease management, it is important that both academic and informational online IBD resources provide comprehensive nutritional information to enhance patient education. Reference

DOZ047.115: Quality and readability of esophageal atresia information on the Internet

2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
B R O’Connor ◽  
E Doherty ◽  
F Friedmacher ◽  
L Vernon ◽  
T S Paran
Keyword(s):  
Esophageal Atresia ◽  
Oesophageal Atresia ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Online Information ◽  
Search Term ◽  
Flesch Reading Ease ◽  
Ease Score ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Google Search

Abstract Introduction Increasingly in pediatric surgical practice, patients, their parents, and surgeons alike use the Internet as an easily and quickly accessible source of information about conditions and their treatment. The quality and reliability of this information may often be unregulated. We aim to objectively assess the online information available relating to esophageal atresia and its management. Methods We performed searches for ‘oesophageal atresia’ and ‘esophageal atresia’ using the Google, Yahoo, and Bing engines to encompass both European and American spellings. We assessed the first 20 results of each search and excluded duplicates or unrelated pages. The DISCERN score and the Health on the Net Foundation Code (HONcode) toolbar were utilized to assess the quality of information on each website. We evaluated readability with the Flesch reading ease (FRE) and the Flesch–Kincaid grade (FKG). Results Of the original 120 hits, 61 were excluded (51 duplicates, 10 unrelated). Out of 59 individual sites reviewed, only 13 sites were HONcode approved. The mean overall DISCERN score was 52.55 (range: 22–78). The mean DISCERN score for the search term ‘oesphageal atresia’ was 57 (range: 22–78) in comparison to 59.03 for ‘esophageal atresia’ (range: 27–78). Google search had the lowest overall mean DISCERN score at 54.83 (range: 35–78), followed by Yahoo at 58.03 (range: 22–78), and Bing with the highest overall mean score of 61.2 (range: 27–78). The majority of websites were graded excellent (≥63) or good (51–62), 43% and 27%, respectively; 20% were scored as fair (39–50), with 10% being either poor (27–38) or very poor (≤26). In terms of readability, the overall Flesch Reading Ease score was 33.02, and the overall Flesch–Kincaid grade level was 10.3. Conclusions The quality of freely available online information relating to esophageal atresia is generally good but may not be accessible to everyone due to being relatively difficult to read. We should direct parents towards comprehensive, high-quality, and easily readable information sources should they wish to supplement their knowledge about esophageal atresia and its management.

scholarly journals Online Information About Periviable Birth: Quality Assessment (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adriane F Haragan ◽  
Carly A Zuwiala ◽  
Katherine P Himes
Keyword(s):  
Medical Information ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Online Information ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Comfort Care ◽  
Treatment Choices ◽  
News Stories ◽  
Google Search

BACKGROUND Over 20,000 parents in the United States face the challenge of participating in decisions about whether to use life support for their infants born on the cusp of viability every year. Clinicians must help families grasp complex medical information about their baby’s immediate prognosis as well as the risk for significant long-term morbidity. Patients faced with this decision want supplemental information and frequently seek medical information on the Internet. Empirical evidence about the quality of websites is lacking. OBJECTIVE We sought to evaluate the quality of online information available about periviable birth and treatment options for infants born at the cusp of viability. METHODS We read a counseling script to 20 pregnant participants that included information typically provided by perinatal and neonatal providers when periviable birth is imminent. The women were then asked to list terms they would use to search the Internet if they wanted additional information. Using these search terms, two reviewers evaluated the content of websites obtained via a Google search. We used two metrics to assess the quality of websites. The first was the DISCERN instrument, a validated questionnaire designed to assess the quality of patient-targeted health information for treatment choices. The second metric was the Essential Content Tool (ECT), a tool designed to address key components of counseling around periviable birth as outlined by professional organizations. DISCERN scores were classified as low quality if scores were 2, fair quality if scores were 3, and high quality if scores were 4 or higher. Scores of 6 or higher on the ECT were considered high quality. Interreviewer agreement was assessed by calculated kappa statistic. RESULTS A total of 97 websites were reviewed. Over half (57/97, 59%) were for-profit sites, news stories, or personal blogs; 28% (27/97) were government or medical sites; and 13% (13/97) were nonprofit or advocacy sites. The majority of sites scored poorly in DISCERN questions designed to assess the reliability of information presented as well as data regarding treatment choices. Only 7% (7/97) of the websites were high quality as defined by the DISCERN tool. The majority of sites did not address the essential content defined by the ECT. Importantly, only 18% of websites (17/97) indicated that there are often a number of reasonable approaches to newborn care when faced with periviable birth. Agreement was strong, with kappa ranging from .72 to .91. CONCLUSIONS Most information about periviable birth found on the Internet using common search strategies is of low quality. News stories highlighting positive outcomes are disproportionately represented. Few websites discuss comfort care or how treatment decisions impact quality of life.

A cross-sectional study on quality of diabetes information identified from the Internet (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jingchun Fan ◽  
Jean Craig ◽  
Na Zhao ◽  
Fujian Song
Keyword(s):  
Health Information ◽  
Search Engine ◽  
Search Engines ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Online Health Information ◽  
Online Information ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Content Coverage ◽  
Google Search

BACKGROUND Increasingly people seek health information from the Internet, in particular, health information on diseases that require intensive self-management, such as diabetes. However, the Internet is largely unregulated and the quality of online health information may not be credible. OBJECTIVE To assess the quality of online information on diabetes identified from the Internet. METHODS We used the single term “diabetes” or equivalent Chinese characters to search Google and Baidu respectively. The first 50 websites retrieved from each of the two search engines were screened for eligibility using pre-determined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Included websites were assessed on four domains: accessibility, content coverage, validity and readability. RESULTS We included 26 websites from Google search engine and 34 from Baidu search engine. There were significant differences in website provider (P<0.0001), but not in targeted population (P=0.832) and publication types (P=0.378), between the two search engines. The website accessibility was not statistically significantly different between the two search engines, although there were significant differences in items regarding website content coverage. There was no statistically significant difference in website validity between the Google and Baidu search engines (mean Discern score 3.3 vs 2.9, p=0.156). The results to appraise readability for English website showed that that Flesch Reading Ease scores ranged from 23.1 to 73.0 and the mean score of Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level ranged range from 5.7 to 19.6. CONCLUSIONS The content coverage of the health information for patients with diabetes in English search engine tended to be more comprehensive than that from Chinese search engine. There was a lack of websites provided by health organisations in China. The quality of online health information for people with diabetes needs to be improved to bridge the knowledge gap between website service and public demand.

scholarly journals Debate: Can and should psychiatrists use online information?

2015 ◽  
Vol 39 (6) ◽  
pp. 312-314
Author(s):  
Elly O'Brien ◽  
Christopher Pell
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Web 2.0 ◽  
Professional Practice ◽  
Online Resources ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Online Information ◽  
Access To Information ◽  
The Public ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Use Of The Internet

When considering professional use of the internet, the focus tends to be on access to information. Yet the development of Web 2.0 and the growth of social media have transformed the internet from a largely read-only medium to one that facilitates interaction and user-created content. I will discuss some of the positive effects that online resources can have on professional practice, looking not just at access to information, but what we do with that information and how we interact online with fellow professionals and the public.

scholarly journals Quality of online self-management resources for adults living with primary brain cancer, and their carers: a systematic environmental scan

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabelle Schaefer ◽  
Nicole Heneka ◽  
Tim Luckett ◽  
Meera R. Agar ◽  
Suzanne K. Chambers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
Brain Cancer ◽  
Online Resources ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Online Information ◽  
Care Needs ◽  
Environmental Scan ◽  
Management Advice ◽  
Google Search

Abstract Background A primary brain cancer diagnosis is a distressing, life changing event. It adversely affects the quality of life for the person living with brain cancer and their families (‘carers’). Timely access to evidence-based information is critical to enabling people living with brain cancer, and their carers, to self-manage the devastating impacts of this disease. Method A systematic environmental scan of web-based resources. A depersonalised search for online English-language resources published from 2009 to December 2019 and designed for adults (> 25 years of age), living with primary brain cancer, was undertaken using the Google search engine. The online information was classified according to: 1) the step on the cancer care continuum; 2) self-management domains (PRISMS taxonomy); 3) basic information disclosure (Silberg criteria); 4) independent quality verification (HonCode); 5) reliability of disease and treatment information (DISCERN Sections 1 and 2); and readability (Flesch-Kincaid reading grade). Results A total of 119 online resources were identified, most originating in England (n = 49); Australia (n = 27); or the USA (n = 27). The majority of resources related to active treatment (n = 76), without addressing recurrence (n = 3), survivorship (n = 1) or palliative care needs (n = 13). Few online resources directly provided self-management advice for adults living with brain cancer or their carers. Just over a fifth (n = 26, 22%) were underpinned by verifiable evidence. Only one quarter of organisations producing resources were HonCode certified (n = 9, 24%). The median resource reliability as measured by Section 1, DISCERN tool, was 56%. A median of 8.8 years of education was required to understand these online resources. Conclusions More targeted online information is needed to provide people affected by brain cancer with practical self-management advice. Resources need to better address patient and carer needs related to: rehabilitation, managing behavioural changes, survivorship and living with uncertainty; recurrence; and transition to palliative care. Developing online resources that don’t require a high level of literacy and/or cognition are also required.

Abstract P187: Analysis Of Online Information On Lifestyle Modification For Post-Myocardial Infarction Patients

Circulation ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 143 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jooyoung Moon ◽  
Hanna Moon
Keyword(s):  
Myocardial Infarction ◽  
Smoking Cessation ◽  
Lifestyle Modification ◽  
Full Range ◽  
Lifestyle Changes ◽  
Treatment Modalities ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Online Information ◽  
Alcohol Abstinence ◽  
Google Search

Background: With continual advancement of treatment modalities, uncomplicated myocardial infarction (MI) patients are being discharged after only one to two days of hospitalization. Though patient education routinely takes place prior to discharge, patients often rely on online information for further guidance. This study aimed to analyze the content and variability of information regarding lifestyle modification for post-MI patients on the internet. Methods: The lay terms 'lifestyle changes after heart attack' were queried using the Google search engine. The first 100 websites were reviewed by two independent investigators. Websites were categorized as either professional or informational depending on the target audience, with the former written for healthcare professionals and the latter for average consumers. Websites that were personal, non-accessible, required payments for access, or included videos were excluded. Statistical analyses were performed using the chi-squared test and Fisher's exact test with significance level set at p<0.05. Results: A total of 86 websites (49 professional, 37 informational) met our inclusion criteria. The most frequently addressed changes were exercise (86.0%), nutrition (82.6%), smoking cessation (74.4%), mental health (50.0%), weight loss (38.4%), risk factor control (36.0%), adherence to cardiac rehabilitation (30.2%), compliance to prescribed medications (26.7%), alcohol abstinence (20.9%), and compliance to follow-up visits (11.6%). Smoking cessation was addressed significantly more often on informational websites (p=0.025), while alcohol abstinence was addressed significantly more often on professional websites (p=0.003). Conclusions: This study demonstrates the variability in information that post-MI patients will encounter on the internet. As it is difficult for patients to determine the credibility of different websites, it is crucial that online resources provide a full range of necessary information for their readers.

Surfing Behind a Boat: Quality and Reliability of Online Resources on Scaphoid Fractures

2016 ◽  
Vol 21 (03) ◽  
pp. 374-381 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mujtaba Nassiri ◽  
Osama Mohamed ◽  
Arvids Berzins ◽  
Yasser Aljabi ◽  
Talat Mahmood ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Information ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Online Resources ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Online Information ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Scaphoid Fractures ◽  
Quality Health ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Quality And Reliability

Background: Patients seeking information and advice on treatment of scaphoid fractures unknowingly confront longstanding medical controversies surrounding the management of this condition. However, there are no studies specifically looking into the quality and reliability of online information on scaphoid fractures. Methods: We identified 44 unique websites for evaluation using the term “scaphoid fractures”. The websites were categorized by type and assessed using the DISCERN score, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmark criteria and the Health on the net (HON) code. Results: The majority of websites were commercial (n = 13) followed by academic (n = 12). Only seven of the websites were HON certified. The mean DISCERN score was 43.8. Only 4 websites scored 63 or above representing excellent quality with minimal shortcomings but 13 websites scored 38 or below representing poor or very poor quality. The mean JAMA benchmark criteria score was 2.2. The Governmental and Non-Profit Organizations category websites had the highest mean JAMA benchmark score. The websites that displayed the HON-code seal had higher mean DISCERN scores and higher mean JAMA benchmark scores compared to websites that did not display the seal. Conclusions: Good quality health information is certainly available on the Internet. However, it is not possible to predict with certainty which sites are of higher quality. We suggest clinicians should have a responsibility to educate their patients regarding the unregulated nature of medical information on the internet and proactively provide patients with educational resources and thus help them make smart and informed decisions.

The Impact of a Highly Publicized Celebrity Suicide on Suicide-Related Online Information Seeking

Crisis ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 207-209 ◽  
Author(s):  
Florian Arendt ◽  
Sebastian Scherr
Keyword(s):  
Suicide Prevention ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Online Information ◽  
Search Queries ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Search Terms ◽  
Celebrity Suicide ◽  
Online Information Seeking ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Background: Research has already acknowledged the importance of the Internet in suicide prevention as search engines such as Google are increasingly used in seeking both helpful and harmful suicide-related information. Aims: We aimed to assess the impact of a highly publicized suicide by a Hollywood actor on suicide-related online information seeking. Method: We tested the impact of the highly publicized suicide of Robin Williams on volumes of suicide-related search queries. Results: Both harmful and helpful search terms increased immediately after the actor's suicide, with a substantial jump of harmful queries. Limitations: The study has limitations (e.g., possible validity threats of the query share measure, use of ambiguous search terms). Conclusion: Online suicide prevention efforts should try to increase online users' awareness of and motivation to seek help, for which Google's own helpline box could play an even more crucial role in the future.

A cross-sectional survey among physicians on Internet use for epilepsy-related information (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco Brigo ◽  
Simona Lattanzi ◽  
Giorgia Giussani ◽  
Laura Tassi ◽  
Nicola Pietrafusa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Internet Use ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Online Information ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Internet Users ◽  
Therapeutic Decisions ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Web

BACKGROUND The Internet has become one of the most important sources of health information, accessed daily by an ever-growing number of both patients and physicians, seeking medical advice and clinical guidance. A deeper insight into the current use of the Web as source of information on epilepsy would help in clarifying the individual attitude towards this medium by Internet users. OBJECTIVE We investigated views towards the Internet in a sample of Italian healthcare specialists involved in epilepsy field, to explore factors which explained the influence of information found on the internet. METHODS This study was a self-administered survey conducted in a group of members of the Italian Chapter of the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) in January 2018. RESULTS 184 questionnaires were analyzed. 97.8% of responders reported to seek online information on epilepsy. The Internet was most frequently searched to obtain new information (69.9%) or to confirm a diagnostic or therapeutic decision (37.3%). The influence of consulting the Internet on clinical practice was associated with registration to social network(s) (OR: 2.94; 95%CI: 1.28-6.76; p=0.011), higher frequency of Internet use (OR: 3.66; 95%CI: 1.56-9.21; p=0.006) and higher confidence in reliability of online information (OR: 2.61; 95%CI: 1.09-6.26; p=0.031). No association was found with age, sex, years in epilepsy practice or easiness to find online information. CONCLUSIONS Internet is frequently used among healthcare professionals involved in the epilepsy to obtain information about this disease. The attitude of being influenced by the Internet for diagnostic and/or therapeutic decisions in epilepsy is independent on age and years of experience in epilepsy, and probably reflects an individual approach towards the Web.

scholarly journals ANALYSIS OF ONLINE INFORMATION ON SUPPORT GROUP MEETINGS FOR CROHN’S DISEASE PATIENTS

2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S52-S53
Author(s):  
Jooyoung Moon ◽  
Hanna Moon
Keyword(s):  
Crohn’S Disease ◽  
Crohn's Disease ◽  
Support Groups ◽  
Support Group ◽  
Psychosocial Support ◽  
Online Information ◽  
Online Support Group ◽  
Significance Level ◽  
Group Meetings ◽  
Google Search

Abstract Background In 2018, the American College of Gastroenterology published guidelines for Crohn’s disease management that emphasized the importance of addressing the patient’s quality of life (QOL). Due to the unique challenges that they face, afflicted patients and their families benefit from support groups that provide psychosocial support. Hospitals have traditionally preferred in-person support group meetings, but there has recently been a great increase in the need for online meetings amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. With increasing usage of the Internet for health advice and assistance, it is important to assess the availability of information on support groups online. Methods Two independent investigators queried the terms “Crohn’s support group” using the Google search engine. The first 100 websites were analyzed and categorized into either informational websites (IW) or professional websites (PW) depending on their association. The mode of support group meetings was categorized as either online or in-person. Websites that included outdated events, were inaccessible, did not specify the mode of meeting, required additional contact, or were irrelevant were excluded. Statistical analyses were performed using the chi-squared test of independence with significance level at p&lt;0.05. Results A total of 56 websites (33 IW, 23 PW) met our inclusion criteria. IW offered online meetings more often than PW (60.6% and 39.1%, respectively; p=0.11). In contrast, PW offered in-person meetings more often than IW (73.9% and 69.7%, respectively; p=0.73). Excluded websites (30 IW, 14 PW) were further analyzed for their reason for elimination. For IW, the most frequent causes of exclusion in descending order were as follows: irrelevance (30.0%), outdated (26.7%), inaccessible (20.0%), did not specify the mode of meeting (13.3%), and redirected for further information (10.0%). Listing of outdated sessions was the most common reason for exclusion of PW from the study (57.1%), and the proportion was significantly higher than IW (26.7%) (p=0.01). Conclusion Crohn’s disease patients face unique challenges that require special attention. Support groups are an important means of alleviating stress, depression, and anxiety in order to improve their QOL. Yet, due to the COVID-19 social distancing policies, many are refrained from participating in in-person sessions. This study illustrates that more online support group meetings are needed and that professional websites should improve on making regular updates for future meeting sessions.

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