Website Credibility Research Articles

Evaluating the Readability, Credibility, and Quality of Spanish-Language Online Educational Resources for Knee Arthroplasty: Implications for Patient Education and Health Disparities.

Spanish-speaking individuals may experience language-based disparities related to elective orthopaedic procedures. Because patients often seek online health information, we assessed the readability, credibility, and quality of Spanish-language educational websites for knee arthroplasty. We queried "Google," "Yahoo," and "Bing" using the term "reemplazo de rodilla" (knee replacement in Spanish) and extracted the top 50 websites per search engine. Websites were categorized by information source (physician/community hospital, university/academic, other) and presence of HONcode certification. Information was assessed for readability (Fernández-Huerta formula), credibility (Journal of the American Medical Association benchmark criteria), and quality (Brief DISCERN tool); scores were compared between the categories. A total of 77 unique websites were included (40.3% physician/community hospital, 35.1% university/academic). The median readability score was 59.4 (10th to 12th-grade reading level); no websites achieved the recommended level of ≤6th grade. The median Journal of the American Medical Association benchmark score was 2 (interquartile range 1 to 3), with only 7.8% of websites meeting all criteria. The median Brief DISCERN score was 16 (interquartile range 12 to 20), with 50.7% meeting the threshold for good quality. University/academic websites had better readability (P = 0.02) and credibility (P = 0.002) but similar quality (P > 0.05) compared with physician/community hospital websites. In addition, HONcode-certified websites had better quality scores (P = 0.045) but similar readability and credibility (P > 0.05) compared with noncertified websites. We identified limitations in readability, credibility, and quality of Spanish-language online educational resources for knee arthroplasty. Healthcare providers should be aware of these patient education barriers when counseling patients, and efforts should be made to support the online information needs of Spanish-speaking orthopaedic patients and mitigate language-based disparities.

Application of Lean Startup Principles in the Improvement of Digital Platforms: a Case Study in a Solar Energy Company

Objective: The objective of this study is to improve a solar energy company's website by utilizing the principles of the Lean Startup methodology to meet customer expectations. Theoretical Framework: This study is based on the concepts of digital entrepreneurship and the Lean Startup methodology, emphasizing the importance of adapting to the digital environment and applying agile methodologies for technological innovation. Method: The research adopted a case study with a qualitative and descriptive approach. Data collection was carried out through semi-structured interviews with customers and potential customers, as well as prototyping to validate the hypotheses raised. Results and Discussion: The results revealed that the main improvement needs include adding information about the company, adjusting visual elements, and incorporating interactive tools. The application of Lean Startup principles allowed for rapid iterations on the improvements, resulting in an increased perception of the website's credibility and usability by users. Research Implications: This research provides practical insights into the implementation of agile methodologies for the enhancement of digital products, highlighting the importance of continuous validation with users to achieve satisfactory results. Originality/Value: This study contributes to the literature by demonstrating the applicability of the Lean Startup methodology in a real context of digital product improvement, offering a replicable model for other companies seeking continuous innovation and customer satisfaction.

Preserving environmental quality of ecotourism sites through community participation in Purulia District of West Bengal, India

The importance of valuing environmental resources, especially in ecotourism sites, has become increasingly important over the last two decades. Ecotourism is now considered as an important source of livelihood of local stakeholders in backward regions. Therefore, the preservation of ecotourism sites through community participation seems very important to maintain continued flow of tourists. This study aimed at recognizing the importance of community participation for the preservation of ecotourism sites. For this, this study executed a survey based on non-probability sampling in two ecotourism sites (Garpanchkot and Baranti) covering 100 respondents in Purulia District, West Bengal of India. The central issue of this study was to assess the tendency of community participation for the conservation of ecotourism sites and find the optimum condition for offering participatory labour time. This study showed that the participation of young people is high, and the majority of respondents are aware of the importance in protecting ecotourism sites. Because respondents were too poor to offer money, the contingent valuation method (CVM) was used to elicit their willingness to pay (WTP) participatory labour time for the conservation of ecotourism sites. Respondents’ age, income, education level, caste, and their perceived environmental quality had significant relationship with their WTP participatory labour time by applying the ordinary least square (OLS) model. It was found that the mean WTP participatory labour time of each respondent in a month is approximately 3.64 h. The significance of this study is that community participation can improve the sense of belonging, trust, and credibility of ecotourism sites, making them more appreciative of the value and protection of these sites.

Differences in Fear and Negativity Levels Between Formal and Informal Health-Related Websites: Analysis of Sentiments and Emotions.

Searching for web-based health-related information is frequently performed by the public and may affect public behavior regarding health decision-making. Particularly, it may result in anxiety, erroneous, and harmful self-diagnosis. Most searched health-related topics are cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and infectious diseases. A health-related web-based search may result in either formal or informal medical website, both of which may evoke feelings of fear and negativity. Our study aimed to assess whether there is a difference in fear and negativity levels between information appearing on formal and informal health-related websites. A web search was performed to retrieve the contents of websites containing symptoms of selected diseases, using selected common symptoms. Retrieved websites were classified into formal and informal websites. Fear and negativity of each content were evaluated using 3 transformer models. A fourth transformer model was fine-tuned using an existing emotion data set obtained from a web-based health community. For formal and informal websites, fear and negativity levels were aggregated. t tests were conducted to evaluate the differences in fear and negativity levels between formal and informal websites. In this study, unique websites (N=1448) were collected, of which 534 were considered formal and 914 were considered informal. There were 1820 result pages from formal websites and 1494 result pages from informal websites. According to our findings, fear levels were statistically higher (t2753=3.331; P<.001) on formal websites (mean 0.388, SD 0.177) than on informal websites (mean 0.366, SD 0.168). The results also show that the level of negativity was statistically higher (t2753=2.726; P=.006) on formal websites (mean 0.657, SD 0.211) than on informal websites (mean 0.636, SD 0.201). Positive texts may increase the credibility of formal health websites and increase their usage by the general public and the public's compliance to the recommendations. Increasing the usage of natural language processing tools before publishing health-related information to achieve a more positive and less stressful text to be disseminated to the public is recommended.

Use of Social Networking Sites for Citizen Journalism

Social networking sites have become important platforms for obtaining political information. Nevertheless, a crucial inquiry in this context pertains to the reliability of social networking sites (SNS) as a political information source. This study investigated the extent to which politically engaged online users perceive social networking sites (SNS) as trustworthy. The positivist philosophical stance was adopted to explain the phenomena. Moreover, the deductive approach was intricated in this study to test the framed hypotheses. A digital survey strategy was used for individuals who frequently engage with social media platforms. The data was electronically collected from October 19 to November 1, 2023. The target population for this study was active social media users in Pakistan who were between the ages of 18 and 34 and data was gathered using the purposive sampling technique. The ultimate sample comprised 384 users via using the cross-sectional study design. This study found social networking sites (SNS) the least credible among the various traditional and online sources. The strongest indicator of social networking site (SNS) credibility was found to be the extent of reliance on these platforms. Moreover, it is concluded that utilizing social network sites (SNS) can be an as effective means to convince voters to support their campaigns.

Research Insights on Online Fatwas. A Comprehensive Systematic Literature Review

Current research on online fatwas has not been thematically identified into a single entity, so it is useful to have guidelines for responding to online fatwas spread across different media. The purpose of this study is to conduct a thematic analysis of scholarly publications related to online fatwas and formulate knowledge based on the classification of the findings. In this study, the author used a systematic literature review by selecting Scopus publications related to online fatwas from 2000 to 2022. The results of this study found that online fatwas research in Scopus can be classified into two forms, first, focusing on the issue of online fatwas and religious authorities. Second, online fatwas are a tool of social engineering. Research on online fatwas about religious authority concludes that there is a shift in religious authority in the digital era, the emergence of digital muftis, even the issue of mazhab, and the need for offline religious authorities to transform themselves by advocating fatwas online. The article on online fatwas, which focuses on fatwas as a tool for social manipulation, recommends three screening methods, namely evaluating the content, establishing criteria for the credibility of fatwas sites, and developing fatwas screening technology

Exploring the influence of Chinese online patient trust on telemedicine behavior: insights into perceived risk and behavior intention.

As a supplement to medical services, telemedicine is of great significance to alleviate the shortage of health resources in China. Based on the traditional consumer behavior measurement model the Technology Acceptance Mode/Theory of Planned Behavior (TAM/TPB), this paper divides online patient trust into six dimensions: perceived risk, personal trust tendency, doctors' credibility, hospitals' credibility, websites' credibility, and system guarantee. On this basis, a structural equation model (SEM) was used to explore the influence of each dimension of online patient trust on online patient intention, behavior choice, and pre-factors. A total of 582 valid questionnaires were distributed to selected patients with experience in using mobile healthcare services in the vicinity of hospitals and communities, as well as to users who shared their experiences in the discussion forums of mobile healthcare websites. The results show that online patient trust has a significant positive impact on telemedicine behavior intention selection, with a standardized path coefficient being as high as 0.866. Doctors' credibility, system guarantee, and website credibility have significant positive effects on online patient trust, with standardized path coefficients of 0.401, 0.260, and 0.226, respectively. Hospital trustworthiness and personal trust propensity have no significant effect on online patient trust. Perceived risk has a significant negative effect on online patient trust, with a standardized path coefficient of -0.118. The research findings suggest that health departments and mobile healthcare providers can enhance mobile healthcare services by considering the patients' perspectives, elevate their online trust levels, and foster a deeper understanding, safety consciousness, and confidence in telehealth services. On this basis, it can be concluded that only the participation of government, medical subjects, and online patients can effectively reduce perceived risks, improve perceived characteristics of online patients, enhance online patient trust, and promote the real willingness and behavior choice for online medical services, effectively improving the positive role of telemedicine in increasing health benefits to people.

대학생의 인터넷 자료 읽기에서 신뢰성 평가 양상

This study aims to examine how college students evaluate the credibility Wiki sites. For this purpose, 286 college students were surveyed on credibility-releated questions for Wikipedia and NamuWiki. Results indicated that college students regarded Wikipedia as moderately credible, with an average of 3.25 for Wikipedia and 3.14 for NamuWiki. When we analyzed the difference in credibility evaluations between Wikipedia and NamuWiki, we found that Wikipedia was deemed more credible than NamuWiki for most questions, but NamuWiki was statistically significantly higher for “easy to understand”. When looking at the relationship between the credibility of wiki sites and college students' use of wiki sites, both source credibility and content credibility were significantly related. We found that college students perceived the credibility of wiki sites as “moderate” but used them for reasons of “newness” and “easy explanation”. It is necessary to develop evaluation indicators that take into account the characteristics of Internet sites and prepare educational measures on credibility evaluation in Internet reading.

Online networking behaviour of tourism stakeholders in a multi-destination region: A hyperlink network analysis

Inter-organisational networking, essential for enhancing tourist destinations' performance, is often underutilised, resulting in low-density networks. To develop precise strategies for managing connectivity, it is crucial to examine stakeholders' networking behaviours – how they connect to a destination network and contribute to its structural formations within and beyond their sectors and geographic locations. This study looks at online networking forms that are qualitatively different from interpersonal contacts among organisational members. Specifically, it focuses on hyperlink networking, given its significance for the visibility of organisations and the overall destination and the credibility of tourism websites. Using social network analysis, this research identifies diverse online networking behaviours related to involvement in networking activities, link-placing and link-receiving, connections with similar and dissimilar actors, and community formation of tourism stakeholders across different sectors within a multi-destination region. The network is characterised by assembling behaviour, where many actors are connected to the network by other organisations rather than by their own linking activity. The study confirms organisations’ low involvement in networking and significant imbalances in their activities. It highlights how imbalances arise in the conjuncture of various sectors, each having a distinct role in uneven link allocation. Destination management organisations are key connectors and mediators but struggle to establish high-density within-sector connections. Public domain-related sectors are generally more active in networking than private ones. Intersectoral connections, rather than within-sector connections, are the major source of links for sectors. Stakeholders tend to connect more with actors from the same geographic area.

Social Media Responsibility towards COVID 19 News: The Case of Qatar

Objectives: This study explored to what extent people in one nation in the Middle East, Qatar, used social media to obtain information regarding COVID-19. It also looked at how social media organizations review and attempt to verify posted information and what they do when and if they discover fake news Methods: The researchers surveyed 400 Qatari citizens to determine their perceptions of the credibility of government and private social media sites and how that differed from their perception of the credibility of traditional mass media news outlets.The research also addressed the interrelationship between browsing social media for information and disinformation about COVID-19 and a person’s feelings of threat, anxiety, and fear. Results: The study found that social media users may have difficulty telling the difference between information and disinformation. This can increasetheir fear, anxiety, and stress. This relationship appears to be clear, and cuts across all demographic lines. What is unclear is whether fear drives people to increase their social media searching for COVID-19 information, or if increased consumption increases fear? It’s quite possible that it is a circular relationship. Conclusions: The study recommended that interventions from multiple stakeholders are essential in order to rationale social media performance and harness it’s power to disseminate reliable information.

Impact of Credibility of Online Information on ADHD in the MENA Region

Recent studies have focused on mental and physical disabilities and disorders, particularly in the Arab world. However, there has been a lack of research on online information about attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and the discourse in which this information is presented on websites in the MENA region. This study aims to evaluate the credibility and accuracy of online information about ADHD, and the language discourse in which it is presented, in the Arab world. The study collected 22 landing pages of ADHD websites from ten Arab countries and applied three stages of inductive qualitative and partial quantitative approach: website credibility, website content analysis, and language discourse analysis. The findings showed that few websites(13%) had high credibility, and most did not have credibility elements on their landing page. Majority of the websites(86%) discussed key ADHD issues, but spread misleading information about ADHD. The discourse analysis revealed that some websites(23%) used authoritative discourse (AD), 27% used internal persuasive discourse (IPD), 23% used AD-IPD, and 27% were neutral. These findings suggest that the discourse used to discuss ADHD leans towards the AD where the science voice is dominant. This study highlights the need to improve the credibility, accessibility, and accuracy of online information on health-related topics, particularly for caregivers, parents, and teachers who are the first line spotters of ADHD symptoms in the MENA region.

The Readability Analysis of Online Education Materials for Kidney Transplantation

Introduction: The growing use of online information influences people's healthcare decision making in terms of treatment or consulting a doctor. The readability of a website is a factor that influences the correct understanding of its content. Regarding that there is little information about the readability as well as the credibility of health websites in the field of kidney transplantation, the present study assesses the readability and trustworthiness of websites in this topic.Material and Methods: Google, Yahoo, and Bing search engines were used to search for "Kidney Transplantation" and "Renal Transplantation.". Four readability scales were applied to assess the readability of the first 30 results of each search engine. The HONcode toolbar was applied to recognize credible websites. The relationship between HONcode verification and website position on the search results pages was explored. Furthermore, the difference between the readability scores and website position on the search results pages was tested. The readability difference between search result pages was also examined.Results: According to the results, the assessed websites are suitable for students or high school graduates. Furthermore, the association between the average readability of websites and website position on the search results pages was significant (p-value&lt;0.05). A significant association between HONcode-verified sites and website position on the search results pages was also revealed (p-value=0.011).Conclusion: The readability of kidney transplantation websites is far above the recommended level. Therefore, health organizations must consider readability while designing their websites.

The Effectiveness of Search Engine Optimization Practices in Promoting Turkey's Tourism Destinations. A case Study of Tourism Destinations in Istanbul City

This study examined the effectiveness of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) practices in promoting Turkey's tourism destinations, focusing specifically on Istanbul city. Recognizing SEO as a crucial digital marketing tool, the study significantly contributed to the understanding of how SEO influences the visibility and attractiveness of destinations online. Employing a descriptive survey design, the research evaluated SEO practices on a representative sample of tourism-related websites in Istanbul, including official tourism websites, hotel sites, and travel blogs. The websites were analyzed based on established SEO parameters such as keyword usage, meta tags, backlink quality, website speed, and mobile optimization. The study also performed a comprehensive SERP (Search Engine Result Pages) analysis to gauge the visibility of these websites in organic search results. User engagement metrics such as bounce rate, time spent on the site, and conversion rates were studied to understand the effectiveness of the websites in attracting and retaining potential tourists. Furthermore, surveys were conducted with potential tourists to glean insights into their online search behavior, the perceived credibility of high-ranking websites, and their likelihood of visiting a destination based on its online representation. The findings revealed a strong correlation between effective SEO practices, high SERP rankings, and positive user engagement metrics. The study concluded that well-implemented SEO strategies significantly improved the online visibility and credibility of Istanbul's tourism destinations, thereby attracting a greater number of potential tourists. The findings underscored the necessity for local tourism businesses to invest in building SEO expertise and resources to capitalize on the potential of digital marketing in promoting tourism. Keywords: Search engine optimization, turkey's tourism, Istanbul tourism destinations, digital marketing in tourism, online visibility

A Descriptive Study on Online Health Information-seeking Behavior among Adults Attending a Tertiary Care Hospital in Central Kerala

Background: The internet plays a crucial role in educating and empowering the health consumer, by providing a large quantity of information on health and health services at their convenience. Although people pay attention to the health information available online, they seldom remember the source of information or are mindful about the credibility of internet sites. As a consequence, online information can lead to patients being misinformed, a sense of distress, and an increase in the tendency toward self-diagnosis or self-treatment. Aim: This study aims to study the pattern of seeking online health information among adults attending a Tertiary Care Hospital in Central Kerala. Materials and Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 460 adults attending a tertiary care hospital in central Kerala. Results: Sixty-six percent of the study participants surfed the Internet to gather information about symptoms related to their condition. Forty-one percent of the study population preferred to discuss the information with their doctor. Majority of study subjects (58%) preferred better opportunities for doubt clearance with their consulting doctor instead of googling their symptoms. Conclusion: The present study recommends that online health information should be used in synergy with doctor–patient interactions which give them viable and true information to cope with their problems to disseminate the right knowledge in the community.

“My knee is cracking” – What information is available on the internet about it? A systematic appraisal of the credibility, readability and accuracy of online information about knee crepitus

ObjectivesTo summarise and systematically appraise the credibility, readability, and accuracy of the online information about knee crepitus. DesignSystematic appraisal of online information. MethodThe top 20 URLs of two search engines (Google and Bing) for the following terms were screened for eligibility ‘knee crepitus’, ‘knee sound’, and ‘knee crackling’ (N ​= ​120 websites). Two reviewers assessed the websites for credibility (JAMA benchmark) and readability (Flesch Reading Ease and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level tests). For accuracy, we performed a qualitative analysis creating thematic units based on the website's content and explored whether they were supported by evidence. ResultsFifty-one websites were included. There was a large variation in the overall credibility of websites, with more than half of the websites lacking credible information. The median Flesch reading ease was 62 (range ​= ​42–88) and Flesch–Kincaid grade level was 8 (range ​= ​3–12). Six key thematic units emerged from our qualitative analysis all with sub-themes within them. The main topics covered by websites were: (i) What is knee crepitus? (ii) Is knee crepitus a problem? (iii) What is the cause of knee crepitus? (iv) How to manage knee crepitus? (v) What are the health consequences of having knee crepitus? (vi) Who should I seek if I have knee crepitus? ConclusionPatients and clinicians should take caution when seeking web-based information about knee crepitus. Websites about knee crepitus lack credibility, present a large variation in readability outcomes, and there was no research evidence available to support most of their information.

Assessment of Internet Learning for High School Students

The generally poor academic performance of secondary school students across the United States is motivating educators to discover ways to improve school conditions of learning. Because the main source of knowledge is the Internet, helping students know how to use this tool wisely and relate their searching to cooperative learning group assignments is a focus of instructional concern. The purpose of this study was to determine how to improve Internet learning at a single high school. The principal chose to use student voice as the method and invited all students to take the Internet Learning Poll to find out how they felt about learning from the Internet. They were told that taking the poll was voluntary, not an assignment, their responses would be anonymous, and combined with other students. Of 461 students enrolled, 444 took the poll, yielding a school completion rate of 96%. Students wanted to be taught methods to improve their Internet research skills and how to evaluate website credibility. They maintained that teachers needed training to devise assignments which contribute to Internet searching and problem-solving practice in cooperative learning teams. Student polling presents evidence-based data to identify needs of students and contribute to better school practices. The elements used to establish the goals of continuous school improvement planning can be met by focusing on faculty improvement, student voice, and principal leadership.

Credibility, Accuracy, and Comprehensiveness of Readily Available Internet-Based Information on Treatment and Management of Peripheral Artery Disease and Intermittent Claudication: Review.

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) affects millions of people worldwide, and a core component of management of the condition is self-management. The internet is an important source of health information for many people. However, the content of websites regarding treatment recommendations for PAD has not been fully evaluated. This study aimed to assess the credibility, accuracy, and comprehensiveness of websites found via a common search engine, by comparing the content to current guidelines for treatment and management of PAD and intermittent claudication (IC). A review of websites from hospitals, universities, governments, consumer organizations, and professional associations in the United States and the United Kingdom was conducted. Website recommendations for the treatment of PAD and IC were coded in accordance with the guidelines of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the American Heart Association (AHA). Primary outcomes were website credibility (4-item Journal of the American Medical Association benchmark), website accuracy (in terms of the percentage of accurate recommendations), and comprehensiveness of website recommendations (in terms of the percentage of guideline recommendations that were appropriately covered). Secondary outcomes were readability (Flesch-Kincaid grade level) and website quality (Health On the Net Foundation's code of conduct). After screening, 62 websites were included in this analysis. Only 45% (28/62) of websites met the credibility requirement by stating they were updated after the NICE guidelines were published. Declaration of authorship and funding and the presence of reference lists were less commonly reported. Regarding accuracy, 81% (556/685) of website recommendations were deemed accurate on following NICE's and the AHA's recommendations. Comprehensiveness was low, with an average of 40% (25/62) of guideline treatment recommendations being appropriately covered by websites. In most cases, readability scores revealed that the websites were too complex for web-based consumer health information. Web-based information from reputable sources about the treatment and management of PAD and IC are generally accurate but have low comprehensiveness, credibility, and readability.

Interactivity, Quality, and Content of Websites Promoting Health Behaviors During Infancy: 6-Year Update of the Systematic Assessment.

BackgroundAs of 2021, 89% of the Australian population are active internet users. Although the internet is widely used, there are concerns about the quality, accuracy, and credibility of health-related websites. A 2015 systematic assessment of infant feeding websites and apps available in Australia found that 61% of websites were of poor quality and readability, with minimal coverage of infant feeding topics and lack of author credibility.ObjectiveWe aimed to systematically assess the quality, interactivity, readability, and comprehensibility of information targeting infant health behaviors on websites globally and provide an update of the 2015 systematic assessment.MethodsKeywords related to infant milk feeding behaviors, solid feeding behaviors, active play, screen time, and sleep were used to identify websites targeting infant health behaviors on the Google search engine on Safari. The websites were assessed by a subset of the authors using predetermined criteria between July 2021 and February 2022 and assessed for information content based on the Australian Infant Feeding Guidelines and National Physical Activity Recommendations. The Suitability Assessment of Materials, Quality Component Scoring System, the Health-Related Website Evaluation Form, and the adherence to the Health on the Net code were used to evaluate the suitability and quality of information. Readability was assessed using 3 web-based readability tools.ResultsOf the 450 websites screened, 66 were included based on the selection criteria and evaluated. Overall, the quality of websites was mostly adequate. Media-related sources, nongovernmental organizations, hospitals, and privately owned websites had the highest median quality scores, whereas university websites received the lowest median score (35%). The information covered within the websites was predominantly poor: 91% (60/66) of the websites received an overall score of ≤74% (mean 53%, SD 18%). The suitability of health information was mostly rated adequate for literacy demand, layout, and learning and motivation of readers. The median readability score for the websites was grade 8.5, which is higher than the government recommendations (<grade 8). Overall, 74% (49/66) of the websites obtained a poor rating for interactivity, measuring active control, 2-way communication, and synchronicity. The most common features found on websites were social media links (61/66, 92%), frequently asked questions (48/66, 73%), and videos (44/66, 67%). Only 14% (9/66) of websites presented culturally responsive information.ConclusionsQuality, content, readability, and interactivity of websites promoting health behaviors during infancy ranged between poor and adequate. Since the 2015 systematic assessment, there was a slight improvement in the quality of websites but no difference in the Suitability Assessment of Materials rating and readability of information. There is a need for researchers and health care providers to leverage innovative web-based platforms to provide culturally competent evidence-based information based on government guidelines that are accessible to those with limited English proficiency.

Evaluation of the Accuracy, Credibility, and Readability of Statin-Related Websites: Cross-Sectional Study.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) represents the greatest burden of mortality worldwide, and statins are the most commonly prescribed drug in its management. A wealth of information pertaining to statins and their side effects is on the internet; however, to date, no assessment of the accuracy, credibility, and readability of this information has been undertaken. This study aimed to evaluate the quality (accuracy, credibility, and readability) of websites likely to be visited by the general public undertaking a Google search of the side effects and use of statin medications. Following a Google web search, we reviewed the top 20 consumer-focused websites with statin information. Website accuracy, credibility, and readability were assessed based on website category (commercial, not-for-profit, and media), website rank, and the presence or absence of the Health on the Net Code of Conduct (HONcode) seal. Accuracy and credibility were assessed following the development of checklists (with 20 and 13 items, respectively). Readability was assessed using the Simple Measure of Gobbledegook scores. Overall, the accuracy score was low (mean 14.35 out of 20). While side effects were comprehensively covered by 18 websites, there was little information about statin use in primary and secondary prevention. None of the websites met all criteria on the credibility checklist (mean 7.8 out of 13). The median Simple Measure of Gobbledegook score was 9.65 (IQR 8.825-10.85), with none of the websites meeting the recommended reading grade of 6, even the media websites. A website bearing the HONcode seal did not mean that the website was more comprehensive or readable. The quality of statin-related websites tended to be poor. Although the information contained was accurate, it was not comprehensive and was presented at a reading level that was too difficult for an average reader to fully comprehend. As such, consumers risk being uninformed about this pharmacotherapy.

Does the website credibility of online travel agencies (OTAs) affect customers’ evaluation and future intentions?

ABSTRACT In an uncertain and escalating risk period resulting from the prolonged pandemic crisis, this study aimed to identify the dimensional nature of online travel agencies’ (OTAs) website credibility, and empirically investigate the effects of its components on attitude and behavioral intentions. This study was conducted by collecting 559 questionnaires from mainland Chinese OTA users in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. The data analyses showed that OTA website credibility comprised six components. Other proposed paths, with the exception of four, were significant at the .05 or .001 level. Interestingly, the paths between content credibility and attitude toward the OTA and between content credibility and loyalty to the OTA were not significant. However, overall, it was confirmed that OTA website credibility determined attitude toward the OTA and loyalty to the OTA, which led to behavioral intention.