Abstract
BackgroundThe internet has become a frequently used and powerful tool for patients seeking medical information. This information may not undergo the same quality consideration as the peer-review criteria for publication of information in a journal. The aim of this study is to assess the quality of internet sites providing information on the treatment of cervical cancer, with comparisons between the quality assessments made by an educated lay person and an expert in the field.MethodsA search of the World Wide Web was made by a lay person to identify sites containing information on the treatment of cervical cancer. The credibility and accuracy of these sites was assessed using predefined criteria based on 'Criteria for Assessing the Quality of Health Information on the Internet' and accepted guidelines for the treatment of cervical cancer. The assessment was made independently and in duplicate by the lay reviewer and medical expert in order to allow comparison.Results46 relevant websites were assessed. Only one site contained all the credibility and accuracy criteria, with a further website containing all the credibility criteria. The majority of sites, 38/46, were deemed easy to navigate. The agreement between lay person and expert was good with only 6 items in total changed by the expert.ConclusionThis study clearly shows there is wide variation in quality of websites available to patients on the treatment of cervical cancer. Further research and consideration is needed on the effects of website information on gynaecological cancer patients and how steps can be made to insure the posting of good quality information.
Highlights
The internet has become a frequently used and powerful tool for patients seeking medical information
The number of health related web sites is rising in line with the demand, with more than 70000 sites available to patients in 2000 [1]
For cancer patients, as for all patients, the internet can be an excellent tool for reinforcing the information given by health care providers, further supplementing knowledge and providing a useful medium to prompt additional questions
Summary
The internet has become a frequently used and powerful tool for patients seeking medical information This information may not undergo the same quality consideration as the peerreview criteria for publication of information in a journal. For cancer patients, as for all patients, the internet can be an excellent tool for reinforcing the information given by health care providers, further supplementing knowledge and providing a useful medium to prompt additional questions. Despite these advantages, unsolicited posting of web sites can result in as much harm as good. Unlike the majority of journals it is the patient, rather than the health care provider that is accessing this information directly. No suitable method exists for the policing medical web site
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