scholarly journals Quality of complementary and alternative medicine information for type 2 diabetes: a cross-sectional survey and quality assessment of websites

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy Y. Ng ◽  
Manav Nayeni ◽  
Kevin Gilotra
Keyword(s):  
Diabetes Mellitus ◽  
Type 2 Diabetes ◽  
Alternative Medicine ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Consumer Health Information ◽  
Consumer Health ◽  
The Mean

Abstract Background The global prevalence of diabetes mellitus is projected to reach approximately 700 million by the year 2045, with roughly 90–95% of all diabetes cases being type 2 in nature. Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) frequently seek information about complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) online. This study assessed the quality of publicly accessible websites providing consumer health information at the intersection of T2DM and CAM. Methods An online search engine (Google) was searched to identify pertinent websites containing information specific to CAM for T2DM patients, and the relevant websites were then screened with an eligibility criteria. Consumer health information found on eligible websites were then assessed for quality using the DISCERN instrument, a 16-item standardized scoring system. Results Across the 480 webpages identified, 94 unique webpages remained following deduplication, and 37 eligible webpages belonged to and were collapsed into 30 unique websites that were each assessed using the DISCERN instrument. The mean overall quality score (question 16) across all 30 assessed websites was 3.55 (SD = 0.86), and the mean summed DISCERN score was 52.40 (SD = 12.11). Eighty percent of websites presented a wide range of CAM treatment options with the associated benefits/risks of each treatment, but in 56.7% of the websites, the sources used to collect information were unreliable. Conclusion This study identified, assessed, and presents findings on the quality of online CAM information for T2DM. Although there were several high scoring websites, there was variability across most of the individual DISCERN items in the assessed websites. This study highlights the importance of awareness among healthcare providers regarding the reliability of online information about CAM treatment and management options for T2DM. Healthcare providers should be aware of patients' information seeking behaviour, guide them in navigating through the content they encounter online, and provide them with resources containing trustworthy and reliable information.

scholarly journals Dietary and herbal supplements for weight loss: assessing the quality of patient information online

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy Y. Ng ◽  
Saad Ahmed ◽  
Catherine Jiayi Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Weight Loss ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
The United States ◽  
Consumer Health Information ◽  
Consumer Health ◽  
High Quality ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Given the high prevalence of dietary and herbal supplement (DHS) use in tandem with the growing ease of internet access, patients commonly search online for consumer health information about these products. One common reason for DHSs use includes weight loss. Healthcare providers need to be aware of the quality of online information about DHSs for weight loss so they can adequately counsel their patients and provide them with guidance surrounding the identification of high-quality information resources. This study aimed to assess the quality of online DHSs consumer health information for weight loss that a “typical” patient might access online. Methods Six search terms were used to generate the first 20 websites on the Google search engine in four countries: Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States (n = 480 websites). After applying exclusion criteria, eligible websites were quality assessed using the DISCERN instrument. This tool is comprised of 16 questions, each evaluated on a 5-point scale. The averages and standard deviations for each DISCERN instrument item, in addition to overall summed scores between 15 and 75 were calculated. Results Across 87 eligible websites, the mean summed score was 44.80 (SD = 11.53), while the mean overall DISCERN score of each website was 2.72 (SD = 0.99). In general, websites detailed and achieved their specified aims and described treatment benefits. However, most websites failed to describe the impact of treatment on overall quality of life and the impact of a no treatment option. The highest-scoring websites were largely government or health portal websites, while the lowest-scoring websites were largely commercial in nature. Conclusion High variability in DISCERN instrument scores was found across all websites assessed. Healthcare providers should be aware of the fact that their patients may be accessing misinformation online surrounding the use of DHSs for weight loss. Therefore, it is important for healthcare providers to ensure that they are providing their patients with guidance on how to identify high-quality resources online, in order that safe, effective, and evidence-based decisions are made surrounding the use of DHSs for weight loss.

scholarly journals The quality of online consumer health information at the intersection of complementary and alternative medicine and arthritis

2021 ◽  
Vol 61 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy Y. Ng ◽  
Alexandra Vacca ◽  
Tanya Jain
Keyword(s):  
Alternative Medicine ◽  
Complementary And Alternative Medicine ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Consumer Health Information ◽  
Consumer Health ◽  
Health Providers ◽  
Self Medication ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Complementary And Alternative

Abstract Background Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use is prevalent among patients living with arthritis. Such patients often seek information online, for the purpose of gaining a second opinion to their healthcare provider or even self-medication. Little is known about the quality of web-based consumer health information at the intersection of CAM and arthritis; thus, investigating the quality of websites containing this information was the purpose of this study. Methods Four unique search terms were searched on Google across four English-speaking countries. We assessed the first 20 results of each search, including them if they contained CAM consumer health information for the treatment and/or management of arthritis. Eligible websites were assessed in duplicate using the DISCERN instrument, which consists of 16-items designed to assess quality. Results Of total of 320 webpages, 239 were duplicates, and a total of 38 unique websites were deemed eligible and assessed using the DISCERN instrument. The mean summed  DISCERN scores across all websites was 55.53 (SD = 9.37). The mean score of the overall quality of each website was 3.71 (SD = 0.63), thus the majority of websites are ranked as slightly above ‘fair’ quality. Conclusion Eligible websites generally received scores better than ‘moderate’ in terms of overall quality. Several shortcomings included a lack of transparency surrounding references used and underreporting of risks associated with treatment options. These results suggest that health providers should be vigilant of the variable quality of information their patients may be accessing online and educate them on how to identify high quality resources.

scholarly journals Assessment of medication adherence and quality of life among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in a tertiary hospital in Kelantan, Malaysia

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 79-86
Author(s):  
Nazmi Liana Azmi ◽  
Nurul Aida Md Rosly ◽  
Hock Chun Tang ◽  
Anis Fariha Che Darof ◽  
Nor Dini Zuki
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Diabetes Mellitus ◽  
Type 2 Diabetes ◽  
Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus ◽  
Medication Adherence ◽  
Life Questionnaire ◽  
Adherence To Medication ◽  
The Mean

Introduction: Previous studies have reported the relationship between medication adherence and quality of life are interrelated. However, many of the results were found to be conflicting. This study aimed to assess the level and association of medication adherence and quality of life among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients in Raja Perempuan Zainab II Hospital, Kelantan, Malaysia. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among adult type 2 diabetes mellitus patients on treatment for over 1 year using convenience sampling at outpatient.  Medication Compliance Questionnaire (MCQ) and revised Diabetes Quality of Life Questionnaire (DQOL) instrument were self-administered to eligible subjects. Data were analysed using GNU PSPP version 0.8.5 and reported for descriptive statistics as well as correlation of both parameters. Results: A total of 200 patients were recruited and they were mostly at the age of 40 to 60 years old. The mean (SD) score for MCQ was 26.0 (1.6) with the majority of them were non-adherent (55.0%, n=110). The mean (SD) score for overall revised DQOL instrument was 25.5 (8.9) while each domain of “satisfaction”, “impact” and “worry” had mean (SD) scores of 12.0 (5.0), 7.7 (3.4) and 5.9 (2.7), respectively. The scores obtained were only approximately half of the possible range of scores for QoL. There was no significant correlation between total score of medication adherence and quality of life when tested using Pearson’s correlation (r=-0.083, p=0.240). Independent t-test also demonstrated no significant relationship between medication adherence status and quality of life (p=0.883). Conclusion: Type 2 diabetes mellitus patients in our setting had unsatisfactory adherence but exhibited acceptable quality of life. We observed that both variables were not associated with one another. Further research is warranted to identify potential factors affecting non-adherence to medication.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus in remission: An exploration

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 127-130
Author(s):  
Vui Yung Chieng ◽  
Rod Sampson
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Diabetes Mellitus ◽  
Type 2 Diabetes ◽  
Primary Care ◽  
Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Common Condition

Type 2 diabetes is an extremely common condition. There is increasing interest in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in remission, and this article aims to improve understanding, recognition and management of these patients in primary care, with the potential to provide a better quality of life for patients and cost savings for healthcare providers.

scholarly journals Impact of Pharmacist Intervention on Improving the Quality of Life of Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (8) ◽  
pp. 1401-1405 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shofian Syarifuddin ◽  
Azizah Nasution ◽  
Aminah Dalimunthe ◽  
Khairunnisa
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Diabetes Mellitus ◽  
Type 2 Diabetes ◽  
Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus ◽  
Pharmacist Intervention ◽  
Disease Stage ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Impact

AIM: To analyse the characteristics, and analyse the impact of pharmacist intervention on quality of life (QOL) outpatients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). METHODS: This six-month analytical cohort study was conducted by assessing the patients’ characteristics and their quality of life by distributing a questionnaire, and the 36-Item short form instrument to the patients with T2DM (n = 45) admitted to the Tertiary hospital in Tebing Tinggi. Patients who had mental disorders, HIV-AIDS, liver disease, stage 4 chronic kidney disease, and pregnant women were excluded from the study. The patients’ quality of life was measured before and after interventions and analysed using the paired t-test. All analyses were performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS, version 22, Chicago, IL, USA) (p < 0.05 was considered significant). RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 61.96 ± 6.45 (years). Most (66.7%) of them were females. The mean QOL (in the score) of the patients: before the intervention, 61.07 ± 15.13; after the intervention, 70.15 ± 14.23, there was a significant difference between groups with and without interventions, p < 0.001. CONCLUSION: Active contribution of pharmacists in the management of T2DM patients is urgent and important to improve the patients’ QOL.

scholarly journals Assessment of health-related quality of life among adult patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kosana Stanetić ◽  
Maja Račić ◽  
Vesna Kević
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Diabetes Mellitus ◽  
Type 2 Diabetes ◽  
Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus ◽  
Health Status ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
Living Environment ◽  
The Mean

Introduction.The aim of the study was to find out the determinants of thequality of life in primary health care patients with type 2 diabetes.Methods. The cross-sectional study included 181 patients, aged 37 to 89 years,with diabetes mellitus type 2, registered with four family medicine practices.The assessment of health status was conducted using medical history, objectiveexamination, laboratory analyses, dilated eye exam, screening for distalsymmetric neuropathy and ankle-brachial index measurement. In evaluatingthe impact of diabetes mellitus on patients’ health status, a generic instrument,the self-administered WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire, was used. Multivariatelinear regression models were used to analyze the variables associated withthe quality of life.Results. Out of 181 adult patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, 73 (40.3%)had diabetes for less than 5 years. The mean glycated hemoglobin (A1C) was7.55% and the mean serum levels of fasting glucose, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol,HDL-cholesterol and triglycerides were above the recommendedvalues. Most of the patients had comorbidities, chronic diabetes complicationsand used oral hypoglycemic agents in combination with insulin. Themultivariate regression analysis showed that the age, psychological health,nephropathy and environment were associated with the domain of physicalhealth. The determinants of psychological health were age, marital statusand environment. Older and single patients had lower scores, whereas thosewith a better living environment had higher scores in the domain of socialrelationship. The levels of glycemic control and gender have not been shownto be significant determinants of any of the four domains.Conclusion. The factors associated with the different domains of quality oflife in patients with type 2 diabetes are multiple, but mainly relate to age,living environment and diabetes complications. The results can be used as aguideline for defining measures that can improve the quality of life of patientswith type 2 diabetes

Assessing the quality of complementary and alternative medicine website information for cancer: A cross-sectional review and analysis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harmy Thakar ◽  
Sabrina L. Balkaran ◽  
Jeremy Y. Ng
Keyword(s):  
Alternative Medicine ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Information Quality ◽  
Consumer Health Information ◽  
Consumer Health ◽  
Eligibility Criteria ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Patients With Cancer

Abstract Patients with cancer frequently utilize complementary and alternative medicine (CAM); prior to this, many seek information about these therapies online. Little is known about the quality of this web-based consumer health information (CHI). The present study aimed to address this paucity of research by evaluating the quality of websites containing information on CAM treatments for cancer. Six unique search terms were entered into Google across four English-speaking countries. The first 20 results of each search were assessed and included if they contained CAM consumer health information for the treatment and/or management of cancer. Eligible websites were assessed using the 16-item DISCERN instrument, designed to evaluate information quality. Of the 480 identified websites, 387 were duplicates, and 53 fit the eligibility criteria and were assessed using the DISCERN instrument. Mean summed DISCERN scores across all websites was 53.08 (SD = 12.75), and mean scores of the overall quality of each website was 3.22 (SD = 0.80). Website CHI quality on CAM therapies for cancer were generally acceptable. Several website quality issues were identified, including a lack of transparency surrounding references, areas of uncertainty, consequences of foregoing treatment, and treatment impacts on quality of life.

scholarly journals Assessment of Quality of Life and Self-Care Behaviors in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Mashhad, Iran

2020 ◽  
Vol In Press (In Press) ◽  
Author(s):  
Malihe Bazpour ◽  
Sahar Rostampour ◽  
Atiye Kamel-Khodabandeh
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Diabetes Mellitus ◽  
Type 2 Diabetes ◽  
Self Care ◽  
The World ◽  
Duration Of Disease ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Disease Family

Background: Diabetes is a highly prevalent metabolic disorder in the world. Complications of diabetes mellitus can have an extreme effect on the quality of life in terms of physical and mental health, as well as social and environmental well-being. Objectives: The current study aimed to measure the quality of life, its determinants, and self-care behaviors in patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in the diabetes clinic of Imam Reza hospital in Mashhad on 140 patients with type 2 diabetes from October to December 2019. The Summary of Diabetes Self-care Activities (SDSCA) questionnaire and the World Health Organization Quality of Life-Brief (WHOQOL-BREF-26 items) were used for data collection. Data analysis was carried out with the Mann-Whitney test and ANCOVA. Results: The mean age of study participants was 58.41 ± 8.91 years, and the majority of them (67.14%) were female. The overall self-care score was 43.32 ± 10.93 in males and 39.93 ± 9.94 in females. The mean scores of the dimensions of quality of life were 61.29 ± 15.66 for physical health, 60.62 ± 13.70 for mental health, 68.67 ± 11.63 for social health, and 61.54 ± 14.88 for environmental health. Among self-care behaviors, physical activity (P = 0.006) was a stronger predictor of quality of life. Demographic characteristics (except for the duration of disease, family history, and age) showed significant correlations with the overall aspects of quality of life. Conclusions: The quality of life of people with diabetes was correlated with some demographic variables. However, the duration of disease, family history, and age did not have any effect on the quality of life. We found that the self-care behavior of physical activity was a significant predictor of quality of life in adults with diabetes. Therefore, it is important to implement programs to improve self-care behaviors.

scholarly journals The Association Between Health Literacy and Quality of Life and Its Associated Factors Among Adults with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Public Primary Care Clinic

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 60
Author(s):  
Nur Amirah Shibraumalisi ◽  
Nafiza Mat Nasir ◽  
Mazapuspavina Md Yasin ◽  
Mohamad Rodi Isa
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Diabetes Mellitus ◽  
Type 2 Diabetes ◽  
Primary Care ◽  
Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Care Clinic ◽  
The Mean

Introduction: Low health literacy (HL) is one of the contributing factors that leads to negative diabetic outcome. Quality of life (QOL) is a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing. There is limited evidence on association of HL and QOL among type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), therefore the objectives of this study were to identify the HL and QOL status, to determine the association between HL and QOL and factors associated with QOL among T2DM patients. Methods: This was a cross sectional study involving patients with T2DM from two public primary care clinics. HL and QOL were measured using translated and validatedHLS – Asia Q16 and DQoL-BCI questionnaires respectively among T2DM patients. Results: The mean HL score was 12.39 (3.34), 17.7 % had “inadequate HL”, 25.7% had “problematic HL” and 56.6% had “sufficient HL”. The mean DQoL-BCI score was 32.09 (6.51). Lower QOL level was negatively associated with age (b -0.140; CI: -0.190, - 0.090; p<0.001), not obese (b -1.476; CI: -2.605, - 0.347; p<0.011), and HL level (b -0.425; CI: -0.59, - 0.259; p<0.001). Lower QOL level was positively associated with uncontrolled glycaemic status (HbA1c >6.5%)(b 1.308; CI: -0.042, 2.659; p<0.058), treatment with insulin (b 4.163; CI:1.538, 6.788; p<0.002) and combination treatment of insulin and oral hypoglycaemic agents (OHA) (b 2.450; CI:1.145, 3.756; p<0.001). Conclusions: This study demonstrated that age, body mass index, HL, glycaemic control, treatment with OHA and insulin were significantly associated with QOL. This suggest the importance of identifying high risk patients with poor QOL for targeted intervention.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document