Web-based Information Resources Research Articles

Review: Information about assisted dying: an evaluation of web-based information resources

Review: Information about assisted dying: an evaluation of web-based information resources

Information about assisted dying: an evaluation of web-based information resources

Aim This paper is a report of a study of the quality of information that is available on the World Wide Web around the topic of assisted dying by sampling information from a number of web pages about assisted dying with a view to evaluating the nature, content and rigour of the information they contain. Background The Internet is seen as one of the first places people will go for information about their health or health-related topics. However, whilst it would appear that, as a source of factual health-related information, the Internet has a degree of reliability and credibility, there is a dearth of information about how the information may contribute to opinion formation and attitudes around important health debates. Methods The study used content analysis of web-based material to evaluate the nature, content, currency and rigour of the information they contained against 27 criteria. Each website was independently assessed by two people, and discrepancies were resolved by discussion. In addition the readability and reading age level of each site was evaluated objectively using ‘The Readability Test Tool’ website (Simpson, 2009). The web page data were collected on three separate days in November 2010. Results/Findings The majority of sites showed accuracy (76%, n = 43) with 7 (14%) being assessed as highly accurate. This was reflected in the completeness of the site evaluated. All sites were readable with 12 pages (24%) being rated at 3. Conclusion There is a discrepancy between web-based information that is aimed at ‘scholars’ and that aimed at the general public. This does have implications for those service users who wish to make health-related decisions based upon reliable information.

Abstract P5-12-02: Tangled in the Breast Cancer Web: An Evaluation of the Usage of Web-based Information Resources by Breast Cancer Patients

Abstract Background: Increasingly cancer patients are researching web-based information to inform their clinical encounter with physicians. The use of the internet by breast cancer patients is incompletely characterized in the literature. The purpose of this study was to characterize the use of the internet by breast cancer patients describing the way they search for, and the impact of, web-based information on the clinical encounter. Methods: From September 2011 to January 2012, breast cancer patients presenting at a tertiary cancer centre waiting to see their oncologist completed a written 23-question survey. Answers were closed and open-ended. Mixed-methods were used to interpret the quantitative and qualitative data. Results: 81 patients were approached and 56 completed the survey. Forty-five (80%) respondents used the internet and of those, 32 (71%) respondents searched for breast cancer information. Patients who searched for internet breast cancer information (users) were younger than those who did not use the internet (p = 0.01). All respondents used Google as their principal search engine and “breast cancer” was the most commonly used search term. Twenty (62%) users accessed sites from a reputable source and 19 (59%) users viewed top search engine hits. To evaluate quality, 15 (47%) users referred to website author credentials and 13 (41%) users examined references. All users sought information with respect to treatment and three-quarters sought information on prognosis. The internet influenced treatment decision making for 30 (66%) users. Twenty-six (80%) users felt the information increased their knowledge of breast cancer and it influenced treatment decision making for 16 (53%) patients. Conclusions: This study highlights search patterns and factors used by patients in seeking web-based breast cancer information. Physicians must appreciate that breast cancer patients use the internet for information and address discrepancies between the information sought and that which is available. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2012;72(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P5-12-02.

A Webometric Analysis of selected Institutes of National Importance Websites in India

It has been experienced that web based information resources have great role to play in academic and research activities. Keeping this fact in view information professionals are largely depending upon the web based information re- sources. A huge amount of data in every subject stream is available on different websites. Internet is a network of networks carrying information on almost any subject under the sun. Everybody today would like to be on internet because of wealth of information that lies there to be exchanged. And, with its global connections and millions of users, the internet is world's biggest electronic library and publish gathering place, which contain a vast amount of information. Information professionals and users face a number of challenges in networked information resources and service environment. But problem is only one that how to retrieve desired information. Many attempts were made and solution comes as 'webometrics'. In this paper an attempt has been made to describe this concept.

Abstract P132: Effectiveness of a Worksite Wellness Program on Dietary Intake, Adiposity, Exercise Performance, Insulin Sensitivity, and Lipids in Overweight Women

Introduction The prevalence of obesity is increasing, especially among black women. Wellness programs have been proposed to prevent obesity-associated disease. Success of worksite programs in achieving weight loss and improving obesity-associated metabolic complications for women is widely variable. Hypothesis A program emphasizing reduced fat and energy intake in addition to exercise at the worksite can improve health measures in overweight female NIH employees, especially when provided with regular nutritional counseling. Methods One hundred overweight (BMI 25 to 57 kg/m2) women (59% black) were provided web-based nutritional information, then randomized to regular meetings and weigh-ins with a dietitian (intervention) or control; all were instructed to increase pedometer counts by 5000 over baseline and given access to a private fitness room. Three day food records, body composition (DXA), lipids, glucose, insulin, and treadmill exercise capacity were measured at baseline and 6 month visits. Results At 6 months, subjects reported decreased daily energy intake (-21%), total fat intake (-24%), and percent calories from fat (-6%), all p< 0.001. Significant reduction in weight, fat mass, and percent truncal fat was determined for all subjects, in addition to improvement in functional exercise capacity (Table). Subjects improved insulin sensitivity (HOMA), and showed reduction in cholesterol and triglyceride levels (Table). There were no significant differences between interventions vs. controls in outcome measures. Intervention subjects who attended > 80% of nutrition classes (n= 17) tended to lose more weight (-3.8 ± 4.4 vs. -1.3 ± 3.0 kg, p=0.06) and fat mass (-2.7 ± 3.9 vs. -1 ± 2.8 kg, p= 0.07), than women who attended less regularly (n=38). Conclusion Overweight female employees provided with web-based nutritional information and worksite exercise resources significantly improved health measures. Consistent attendance at nutrition counseling sessions may facilitate achievement of weight and fat loss.

SpiroESTdb: a transcriptome database and online tool for sparganum expressed sequences tags

BackgroundSparganum (plerocercoid of Spirometra erinacei) is a parasite that possesses the remarkable ability to survive by successfully modifying its physiology and morphology to suit various hosts and can be found in various tissues, even the nervous system. However, surprisingly little is known about the molecular function of genes that are expressed during the course of the parasite life cycle. To begin to decipher the molecular processes underlying gene function, we constructed a database of expressed sequence tags (ESTs) generated from sparganum.FindingsSpiroESTdb is a web-based information resource that is built upon the annotation and curation of 5,655 ESTs data. SpiroESTdb provides an integrated platform for expressed sequence data, expression dynamics, functional genes, genetic markers including single nucleotide polymorphisms and tandem repeats, gene ontology and KEGG pathway information. Moreover, SpiroESTdb supports easy access to gene pages, such as (i) curation and query forms, (ii) in silico expression profiling and (iii) BLAST search tools. Comprehensive descriptions of the sparganum content of all sequenced data are available, including summary reports. The contents of SpiroESTdb can be viewed and downloaded from the web (http://pathod.cdc.go.kr/spiroestdb).ConclusionsThis integrative web-based database of sequence data, functional annotations and expression profiling data will serve as a useful tool to help understand and expand the characterization of parasitic infections. It can also be used to identify potential industrial drug targets and vaccine candidate genes.

Transparency Matters: Kaiser Permanente's National Guideline Program Methodological Processes

The practice-guideline process of collecting, critically appraising, and synthesizing available evidence, then developing expert panel recommendations based on appraised evidence, makes it possible to provide high-quality care for patients. Unwanted variability in the quality and rigor of evidence summaries and Clinical Practice Guidelines has been a long-standing challenge for clinicians seeking evidence-based guidance to support patient care decisions. A multidisciplinary group of stakeholders, with representation from all eight Kaiser Permanente Regions, is responsible for creating National Guidelines. Conducting high-quality systematic reviews and creating clinical guidelines are time-, labor-, and resource-intensive processes, which raises challenges for an organization striving to balance rigor with efficiency. For these reasons, the National Guideline Program elected to allow for the identification, assessment, and possible adoption of existing evidence-based guidelines and systematic reviews using the ADAPTE; Appraisal of Guidelines Research and Evaluation; Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR); and Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) frameworks. If no acceptable external guidelines are identified, the Guideline Development Team then systematically searches for relevant high-quality systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and original studies. Existing systematic reviews are assessed for quality using a measurement tool to assess systematic reviews (the AMSTAR systematic review checklist). Following the screening and selection process, the included studies (the "body of evidence") are critically appraised for quality, using the GRADE methodology, which focuses on four key factors that must be considered when assigning strength to a recommendation: balance between desirable and undesirable effects, quality of evidence, values and preferences, and cost. The evidence is then used to create preliminary clinical recommendations. The strength of these recommendations is graded to reflect the extent to which a guideline panel is confident that the desirable effects of an intervention outweigh undesirable effects (or vice versa) across the range of patients for whom the recommendation is intended. The Care Management Institute disseminates all KP national guidelines to its eight Regions via postings on its Clinical Library Intranet site, a Web-based internal information resource.

P4-14-03: Support Groups in Breast Cancer: An Evidence Based Assessment of 1606 Patients with Concerning Topics for Support Group Discussion and Presentation.

Abstract Background Cancer support groups are conducted at most cancer centers. Although there is increasing demand among patients and families for support groups, little data exist outlining which topics patients and caregivers consider as most important for support group discussion and presentation. We conducted a large web-based anonymous survey to determine preferences of patients and caregivers for cancer support groups, including 1606 individuals with breast cancer and 3723 with other malignancies. Methods: The established patient base of NexCura®, a web-based information resource, was used to survey registered patients and caregivers in this on-line assessment. Participants ranked 26 topics on a 5-point Likert scale which evaluated the importance of each item. Demographic characteristics, clinical factors, and support group content preferences were assessed. Results: There were 4402 respondents to the invitation to participate, and 3723 patients and caregivers elected to participate (85%). Characteristics included for all 3723 patients: 70% women, mean age 58 (range 20–89). For the 1606 patients with breast cancer, 99.8% were women, the mean age was 56 (range 27–88); 53% were free of cancer. For the whole group, the four most common cancers were breast 45%, prostate 15%, lung 6%, and colorectal 5%. 90% of participants were patients and 10% were caregivers. 80% of participants rated all 26 topics. The table below shows rankings by the top 2 categories (the percent ranking each topic as “Very Important” or “Important”) of the 10 highest rated topics (and the rank order for each item) for patients with breast cancer and for all patients. Conclusions: 1) This is the largest survey of patients and caregivers concerning support groups for patients with breast cancer and for a general cancer population. 2) Patients with breast cancer ranked most topics similarly to the general cancer population; however, topics dealing with fatigue and stress management were somewhat more highly ranked by those with breast cancer. 3) Physical, psychological, and communication issues were the most highly ranked issues by breast cancer patients and families. 4) These results should guide the content of support groups to meet the needs of patients and caregivers. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2011;71(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P4-14-03.

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Health Issues, Disparities, and Information Resources

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons, while widely diverse in many ways, share health disparities related to the stigma and discrimination they experience, including disproportionate rates of psychiatric disorders, substance abuse, and suicide. Lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, and the transgender communities have additional health concerns and disparities unique to each population. This paper highlights the national recognition of these health issues and disparities and presents web-based information resources about them and their mitigation.

What topics do patients and caregivers consider most important for support groups? An evidence-based analysis of 3,728 participants.

9107 Background: Cancer support groups are conducted at nearly all cancer centers. Yet little data exist concerning what topics patients and their caregivers consider to be most important for support group discussion and presentation. We conducted a large web-based anonymous survey to determine preferences of patients and caregivers for cancer support groups to improve the ability to meet their needs. Methods: We used the established patient database of NexCura, a web-based information resource, to survey registered patients and caregivers. Demographic characteristics, clinical factors, and support group content preferences were assessed. Participants ranked 26 topics on a 5-point Likert scale weighing the importance of each item in this anonymous survey. Results: 4,402 respondents resulted in 3,728 participants (85%). Characteristics: 70% women, mean age 58 (range 20-89); the four most frequently occurring cancers in participants were breast 45%, prostate 15%, lung 6%, colorectal 5%. 90% of participants were patients and 10% caregivers; 80% of participants rated all 26 topics. The table below shows rankings by the top 2 categories (Very Important + Important) of the 10 highest rated topics (total of 26 topics). Conclusions: 1) These results represent by far the largest survey of patient and caregiver preferences for topics for support groups; such preferences should guide the content of support groups; 2)patients and caregivers ranked most topics in a fairly similar manner; 3) interestingly, decision making was rated in the top 5 most important topics; and 4) patients and caregivers rated cancer educational information more highly than social supportive issues. Topics (Top 10 rated of 26) Patients: Very Important + Important Caregivers: Very Important + Important Cancer treatment choices 95.0% 95.1% Side effects and their prevention 93.3% 95.1% Living with a cancer diagnosis 91.3% 92.3% Making decisions about care 89.9% 91.9% Talking with medical professionals 88.6% 89.5% Dealing with anxiety/depression 85.2% 92.5% Uncertainty of cancer 84.7% 86.6% Stress and stress management 84.6% 90.1% Navigating the health system 84.2% 88.2% Nutrition, appetite, and weight 83.1% 87.9%

DMBase: An Integrated Genetic Information Resource for Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetes Mellitus (DM), often simply referred to as diabetes, has developed into a major health concern affecting more than 200 million people worldwide with approximately 4 million deaths per year attributed to the presence of the disease. Diabetes mellitus is categorized as Type 1 and Type 2, where Type 1 diabetes represents a lack of insulin production, and Type 2 diabetes is characterized by a relative lack of insulin receptor (i.e., decreased sensitivity to the effect of insulin) and cased by a complex interplay between genetic factors and environmental factors. Up to date, various studies on the pathology and mechanism in terms of genetic experiments have been conducted and approximately hundreds of genes were reported as diabetes mellitus associated genes. At this point, to support studies on the cause and mechanism of diabetes mellitus, an efficient database system to provide genetic variants related to diabetes mellitus is needed. DMBase is an integrated web-based genetic information resource for diabetes mellitus designed to service genomic variants, genes, and secondary information derived for diabetes mellitus genetics researchers. The current version of DMBase documents 754 genes with 3056 genetic variants and 66 pathways. It provides many effective search interfaces for retrieving diabetes mellitus and genetic information. A web interface for the DMBase is freely available at http://sysbio.kribb.re.kr/dmBase.

Use of Web Resources in the Journal Literature 2001 and 2007: A Cross-Disciplinary Study

This article examines Web resources in research articles from 30 scholarly journals in disciplines across the sciences, social sciences, and humanities. The purpose of the study is to report the degree to which scholars make use of Web-based resources in the journal literature and to identify Web citation characteristics within different subject areas. The study also explores whether any changes emerged between 2001 and 2007. The examination confirms the finding of previous studies that, even though Web resources are not heavily used in journal articles, the number of such resources is increasing. Publicly accessible database repositories and open source software prevail over other Web resources in research communication. The implications for academic libraries are discussed. The study suggests that new strategies need to be developed to manage Web-based information resources.

Barriers and Benefits Associated with Nurses Information Seeking Related to Patient Education Needs on Clinical Nursing Units

The purpose of this study was to answer the following two questions: What are clinical nurses’ rationales for their approaches to finding patient educational materials on the web? What are perceived barriers and benefits associated with the use of web-based information resources for patient education in the context of nursing clinical practice?Over 179 individual data units were analyzed to understand clinical nurses’ rationales for their approaches to find patient educational materials on the web. Rationales were defined as those underlying catalysts or activators leading to an information need. Analyses found that the primary reasons why clinical nurses conducted web-based information searches included direct patient requests ( 9 requests), colleague requests (6 requests), building patient materials collections (4), patients’ family requests (3), routine teaching (1), personal development (1), or staff development (1). From these data, four broad themes emerged: professional reasons, personal reasons, technology reasons, and organization reasons for selecting information resources. Content analysis identified 306 individual data units representing either ‘benefits’ (178 units) or ‘barriers’ (128) to the nurses’ use of web resources for on-unit patient care. Inter-rater reliability was assessed and found to be excellent (r = 0.943 to 0.961). The primary themes that emerged as barriers to the used of web-based resources included: 1) time requirements to perform a search, 2) nurses’ experience and knowledge about the resources or required technology, 3) specific characteristics of individuals electronic information resources, and 4) organizational procedures and policies. Three primary themes that represented the benefits of using web-based resources were also identified: 1) past experiences and knowledge of a specific resource or the required technologies, 2) availability and accessibility on the unit, and 3) specific characteristics of individual information tool. In many cases, nurses commented on specific characteristics or features of favorite information resources. Favorite sites included a variety or reputable health care organizations that displayed context in text, audio, and/or video. In addition such sites were described as easy-to read and provided content related to patient-focused information or specific content such as toll free telephone contact numbers.Information searching is the interaction between and among information users and computer-based information systems. Information seeking is becoming an important part of the knowledge work of nurses. Information seeking and searching intersects with the field of human computer interaction (HCI), which focuses on all aspects of human, and computer interactions. Users of an information system are understood as “actors” in situations, with a set of skills and shared practices based on work experiences with others. Designing better tools and developing information searching strategies that support, extend, and transform practices, begins by asking: Who are the users? What are the tasks? What is the interplay between the technology and the organization of the task? This study contributes fundamental data and information about the rationales nurses use in information seeking tasks. In addition it provides empirical evidences regarding barriers and benefits of information seeking in the context of patient education needs in inpatient clinical settings.

Cell therapy medical tourism: Time for action

1 Department of Research and Development, Hospira Inc., Lake Forest, Illinois, USA, 2 Department of Medical Ethics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, 3 Advanced Centre for Biochemical Engineering, University College London, London, UK, 4 The Stop ALD Foundation, Houston, Texas, USA, 5 Interdisciplinary Oncology Program, H. Lee Moffi tt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA, 6 Department of Regulatory Affairs, Perkin Elmer Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, 7 Bone Marrow Transplantation Unit, National Cancer Institute, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 8 Section of Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation Unit, University Hospital, Cremona, Italy, 9 Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, 10 Department of Cell and Molecular Therapies, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital RPA Hospital and Centenary Institute, Newtown, NSW, Australia, 11 Research Foundation for Community Medicine, Tokyo, Japan, and 12 Children ’ s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Self-Reported Information Needs of Anesthesia Residency Applicants and Analysis of Applicant-Related Web Sites Resources at 131 United States Training Programs

Despite the use of web-based information resources by both anesthesia departments and applicants, little research has been done to assess these resources and determine whether they are meeting applicant needs. Evidence is needed to guide anesthesia informatics research in developing high-quality anesthesia residency program Web sites (ARPWs). We used an anonymous web-based program (SurveyMonkey, Portland, OR) to distribute a survey investigating the information needs and perceived usefulness of ARPWs to all 572 Stanford anesthesia residency program applicants. A quantitative scoring system was then created to assess the quality of ARPWs in meeting the information needs of these applicants. Two researchers independently analyzed all 131 ARPWs in the United States to determine whether the ARPWs met the needs of applicants based on the scoring system. Finally, a qualitative assessment of the overall user experience of ARPWs was developed to account for the subjective elements of the Web site's presentation. Ninety-eight percent of respondents reported having used ARPWs during the application process. Fifty-six percent reported first visiting the Stanford ARPW when deciding whether to apply to Stanford's anesthesia residency program. Multimedia and Web 2.0 technologies were "very" or "most" useful in "learning intangible aspects of a program, like how happy people are" (42% multimedia and Web 2.0 versus 14% text and photos). ARPWs, on average, contained only 46% of the content items identified as important by applicants. The average (SD) quality scores among all ARPWs was 2.06 (0.59) of 4.0 maximum points. The mean overall qualitative score for all 131 ARPWs was 4.97 (1.92) of 10 points. Only 2% of applicants indicated that the majority (75%-100%) of Web sites they visited provided a complete experience. Anesthesia residency applicants rely heavily on ARPWs to research programs, prepare for interviews, and formulate a rank list. Anesthesia departments can improve their ARPWs by including information such as total hours worked and work hours by rotation (missing in 96% and 97% of ARPWs) and providing a valid web address on the Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database Access System (FREIDA) (missing in 28% of ARPWs).

Roles for Information professionals in patient education: Librarians' perspective

Through an examination of librarians’ contributions to the PEPTalk research project, this article highlights roles for information professionals at various stages in the design and clinical implementation of an information system that delivers patient education. The Personal Education Plan (PEPTalk) was a collaborative, multi-disciplinary research project (2005-2006) based at the University Health Network’s Princess Margaret Hospital that designed an information system to provide web-based health information resources to both patients and clinicians under a shared umbrella of patient education. This article provides an overview of the PEPTalk project methods and outcomes, and documents the contributions of librarians throughout the design and clinical implementation stages of the project. Librarians brought expertise about information seeking behaviours of both patients and clinicians to the project; liaised across institutional and professional boundaries; developed a classification system for online learning objects, and educated project team about information and health literacies. The contributions of librarians on the PEPTalk project illustrate the need for boundary spanners, information brokers, knowledge translators, and change champions in the design and implementation of patient education delivery systems. There are new roles emergent at the intersections of clinical practice and health information provision. There is a need for the traditional skills and expertise of librarians and other information professionals in tailoring health information. Yet the design and implementation of patient education systems also require the development of new skills and the application of advanced information literacy as it pertains to both clinicians and patients.

Beyond Google: Finding and Evaluating Web-Based Information for Community-Based Nursing Practice

Nurses are challenged to find and use reliable, credible information to support clinical decision-making and to meet expectations for evidence-based nursing practice. This project targeted practicing public health and school nurses, teaching them how to access and critically evaluate web-based information resources for frontline practice. Health sciences librarians partnered with nursing faculty to develop two participatory workshops to teach skills in searching for and evaluating web-based consumer and professional practice resources. The first workshop reviewed reliable, credible consumer web-resources appropriate to use with clients, using published criteria to evaluate website credibility. In the second workshop, nurses were taught how to retrieve and evaluate health-related research from professional databases to support evidence-based nursing practice. Evaluation data indicated nurses most valued knowing about the array of reliable, credible web-based health information resources, learning how to evaluate website credibility, and understanding how to find and apply professional research literature to their own practice.

Utilization of Web-Based Resources for Medical Research and Education by Health Professionals at the College of Medicine, Ibadan Nigeria

A survey was conducted to determine the use of web-based information resources for medical research and education by the health professionals in University College Hospital, Ibadan. Questionnaires were administered to the health professionals in various departments in the Hospital. The results showed a low level of use in spite of high awareness level. This was due inter-alia, to lack of information technology skills, fluctuation of electricity, non-access to useful medical information internet addresses. The study recommends compulsory intensive training for the health professionals. The medical librarian should organize massive awareness workshops on useful medical information websites and constantly circulate.

Internet Resources in Medical Genetics

This unit presents an overview of the most commonly used Web-based information resources for clinicians seeking to apply molecular or array-based genetic testing to patient care, obtain information on metabolic disease testing, learn more about newborn screening, or understand the molecular basis of inherited diseases, as well as for consumers seeking advocacy or scientific/management information, and also for genetics professional societies.

Determining issues of importance for patients with lung cancer: Results of a web-based study in 660 patients with lung cancer to enhance the content validity of quality of life (QL) instruments

20518 Background: Identifying key issues for patients with cancer is central to assessing QL and patient reported outcomes (PROs), which aids in evaluating effectiveness of treatment programs for those with the disease. The first aim of this study was to enhance the content validity for the PRO instrument, the LCSS, by enlarging the patient panel (originally 121) with an additional 660 patients. These data can also be useful for any QL or symptom scale as well as helping to ascertain that programs address the needs expressed by patients. Methods: We used the established patient base of the web-based NexCura patient information resource to survey registered patients with lung cancer. Demographic stratifications included: stage of disease (metastatic 27%, locally advanced 37%, NED 36%); gender (55% women); KPS (≥80 = 46%, 70 = 28%, 60 = 16%); median age 62; NSCLC = 82%, SCLC = 18%; current treatment. 660 patients completed the anonymous web-conducted survey. Patients were asked to rank 20 issues on a 5-point scale assessing the importance of each item. Issues included general, lung-specific, psychosocial, spiritual and summative items. Results: The 9 highest ranked items are seen below; results are described by percent of patients choosing the top category (very important) and the top 2 rating categories of importance. Conclusions: Ratings by disease subsets (such as NED or M1 extent; by gender; by lung cancer type) were fairly similar to results found for the whole group, with the exception of the pain item being ranked second in those with stage IV extent. These results represent the largest survey of patient concerns in lung cancer and support using computer-assisted survey technology to assess such information in all malignancies to obtain patient input rapidly from large patient samples. These results give strong support for content validity for the LCSS and should be helpful in a variety of assessments in patients with lung cancer. Very Important Very Important + Important Good QL 80% 98% Maintaining independence 71% 97% Being a burden to others 65% 89% Perform normal activities 64% 96% Able to sleep 63% 94% Having pain 59% 86% Being fatigued 58% 93% Having shortness of breath 58% 89% Being depressed 47% 82% Lower ranked items (not shown): sexuality, GU, and spiritual issues; other symptoms Author Disclosure Employment or Leadership Consultant or Advisory Role Stock Ownership Honoraria Research Expert Testimony Other Remuneration NexCura NexCura NexCura