Quality and scientific accuracy of patient-oriented information on the internet on minimally invasive surgery for colorectal cancer

ObjectivesAppropriate information on minimally invasive surgery for colorectal cancer would help the patients and their caretakers to understand the treatment process. We aimed to assess the readability, quality and scientific content of patient-oriented information on minimally invasive surgery for colorectal cancer on the internet.MethodsInternet search on “minimally invasive surgery for colorectal cancer”, “laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer” and “robotic surgery for colorectal cancer” was performed on search engines (Google, Yahoo! and Bing). Quality and readability were assessed by DISCERN instrument and validated Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES) respectively.ResultsFifty-five websites were analysed. The median DISCERN score was 41(range:24–66) and the median FRES score was 33.9(range:10.4–59.8) indicating low readability. Twenty-seven sites (49.1%) were affiliated with hospitals or clinics. Benefits of surgery and the surgical procedure were mentioned in 76.4% and 81.8% respectively. However, pre-op preparation, surgical complications, and quality of life were not mentioned in 49(82.1%), 42(76.4%) and 44(80%) sites respectively. Overall on DISCERN, 7(12.73%) were identified as “Excellent”, 25(45.45%) as “Good” or “Moderate” and 23(41.82%) as “Poor”.ConclusionAnalysis of the quality and scientific content of patient information on MIS for CRC revealed a considerable deficiency in the information provided and sub-standard readability. Several aspects such as pre-op preparation, surgical complications and post-operative quality of life which are of concern to the patient were not discussed in a considerable proportion of articles. As the internet is expanding as a readily available source of information, steps should be taken to ensure the highest quality information.     

Quality of health information for cervical cancer treatment on the internet

Background  

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 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.     

Looking beyond the internet: examining socioeconomic inequalities in cancer information seeking among cancer patients

The gap in cancer information seeking between high-socioeconomic-status (high-SES) cancer patients and low-SES cancer patients deserves serious attention, considering the importance of information and knowledge in cancer control. We thus explored the association of SES, as measured by education, with cancer patients' overall cancer information seeking, and with seeking from each source (i.e., the Internet, mass media, medical sources, and nonmedical interpersonal sources) and across two topic categories (i.e., treatment, quality of life). We then asked whether the effect of education on treatment information seeking is reduced among those who are particularly motivated to control treatment choices. We conducted a survey with breast, prostate, and colon cancer patients diagnosed in 2005 (n?=?2,013), who were randomly drawn from the Pennsylvania Cancer Registry in the fall of 2006. We found that education was more strongly associated with Internet use than with the use of other sources regardless of topics. Also, when information was sought from mass media, education had a greater association with treatment information seeking than with quality-of-life information seeking. Preference for active participation in treatment decision making, however, did not moderate the effect of education on treatment information seeking. The implications of these findings for public health research and cancer patient education were discussed.     

New patient-oriented diagnostic test characteristics analogous to the likelihood ratios conveyed information on trustworthiness

OBJECTIVE: Suggesting patient-oriented ratio measures of diagnostic tests analogous to the likelihood ratios. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: Algebraic equation based on Bayes' theorem. RESULTS: Two new measures are suggested: the positive predictive ratio (PPR), relating the positive predictive value (PPV) to the false negative rate in the patient population, and the negative predictive ratio (NPR), relating the negative predictive value (NPV) to the false positive rate in the patient population. The new measures are analogous to likelihood ratios. These measures are calculable from the familiar 2x2 table in a selected study population or in a target (general) population. Examples are given, using published data. CONCLUSION: PPR adds to the information given by the PPV, and NPR adds to the information given by the NPV. PPR and NPR may be more appropriate in the clinical setting than likelihood ratios.     

浅谈网络卫生信息管理的几个问题

网络的出现和发展为信息的传播创造了十分便利的条件,卫生信息也因此进入了传播速度和信息量巨增的网络时代。但是,政府作为管理机构不仅要重视网络设备的建设,更重要的是要重视如何很好地运用网络设备来传播信息。卫生信息有着自身的独特性,它所包含的卫生新闻不完全等同于新闻学中定义的新闻,因为医学科普信息也是卫生信息,而且是内容广泛的群众迫切需要的卫生信息。如此大量的借助网络设备传播的卫生信息,需要有专人或者是一个有组织的群体来承担采编工作,政府部门不能陷入这些具体的事务中,而束缚了自己的管理职能。     

结核病国外网络信息资源精选

结核病是一种古老的慢性传染病，它曾在全世界广泛流行，夺去了数亿人的生命。自20世纪50年代以来，由于不断发现有效的抗结核药物，使结核病流行得到了一定的控制。但是，近年来，由于不少国家对结核病预防的忽视，减少了财政投入，随着人口的增长、流动人口的增加、艾滋病病毒的传播，使结核病流行下降缓慢，有的国家和地区还有所回升。本文介绍一些精选的结核病国外网络信息资源，包括结核信息资源导航站点、重要的出版物、指南、数据库及权威的学术机构，旨在为结核病的预防控制提供信息支持。     

Essential health information available for India in the public domain on the internet

Background  

Health information and statistics are important for planning, monitoring and improvement of the health of populations. However, the availability of health information in developing countries is often inadequate. This paper reviews the essential health information available readily in the public domain on the internet for India in order to broadly assess its adequacy and inform further development.     

Quality of internet access: barrier behind internet use statistics

The rapid growth of the Internet is increasingly international with young people being the early adopters in most countries. However, the quality of Internet access looms as a major barrier hidden behind Internet use statistics. The goal of this study was to provide an in-depth evaluation of young people's perspectives on using the Internet to obtain health information and resources (e-health). Using an inductive qualitative research design, 27 focus groups were conducted in Ontario, Canada. The 210 young participants were selected to reflect diversity in age, sex, geographic location, cultural identity and risk. A major finding was how the quality of Internet access influenced young people's ability to obtain health information and resources. Quality of Internet access was affected by four key factors: 1. Privacy, 2. Gate-keeping, 3. Timeliness and 4. Functionality. Privacy was particularly relevant to these young people in getting access to sensitive health information (e.g. sexual activities). Variations in access quality also impacted participation in mutual support, fostering social networks and getting specific health questions answered. These results serve as a warning about using Internet penetration statistics alone as a measure of access. Concerted attention is needed on improving the quality of Internet access for achieving the potential of e-health. This is imperative for addressing the digital divide affecting populations both within countries and globally between countries.     

毒物危害相关的网络信息资源概述

随着科学和社会的发展 ,越来越多的新产品、新的化学物进入了我们的生活。据美国化学文摘社发布的资料 ,截至 2 0 0 3年 11月 5日 ,已登记化学物种类达到 2 44 2 44 42种 ,其中实现商业用途的有 64 62 3 5 8种 (http :∥www .cas .org/cgi bin/regreport.pl)。在技术发展的同时 ,化学物以及天然有毒物质对人类生存环境及健康带来的负面影响也越来越受到关注。人类至今研究过的化学物质不过 10多万种 ,这个数字与自然界存在和人类合成的化学物种类相比仅为极小一部分 ,而绝大多数化学物 ,我们并不十分了解会对自身带来什么样的结局。所以 ,收…     

网络健康信息研究热点分析

摘要:目的　梳理网络健康信息研究的基础知识,分析其研究热点与前沿。方法　以ISI web of science核心合集数据库中1995-2014年网络健康信息的论文数据为研究对象,采用CiteSpace知识图谱工具分析相关数据。结果　共获取有关网络健康信息研究的文献9 389篇,分析得出21篇重要基础文献、20个高频共现关键词和11个前沿突现术语。结论　网络健康信息研究领域主要集中在信息质量的评估控制、使用情况分析、社会影响、信息需求和获取等方面。其研究对象患者、医生,信息的质量和使用行为以及对疾病的干预、护理和保健等是研究的热点问题。社会媒体、调查统计方法、临床实践指南和电子病历等是其领域突现出的研究前沿。     

国内有关儿童发热的网络信息质量评价初探

目的评价国内互联网上有关儿童发热的网络信息质量。方法使用3种搜索引擎搜索2个关键词来获取互联网上与儿童发热相关网页。通过去重和筛检,从网页的资信度（所有权、目的、作者、作者资格、交互性和时效性）和内容完整性（发热定义、发热病因、发热治疗和需就医的情况）2个方面进行评价,同时对网页内容做了统计分析。结果选择检索结果的前600个网页,经过去重和筛选后有191个网页符合要求,其中包括21个网站首页或子目录页,共包括780个相关网页。在按照主办者和信息范围进行的两种分类中各类网页间差异均具有统计学意义,网页信息内容与出版物中推荐的内容有很大差异。结论国内互联网上有关儿童发热的网络信息质量较差。     

向量空间模型法用于网上卫生装备信息资源自动搜集技术研究

目的：实现网上卫生装备信息资源自动搜集。方法：采用向量空间模型法标识网页的类别特征，并研究用于网上卫生装备信息搜集的特征向量及识别阈值参数计算实现方法。结果：初步试验表明，通过合理确定各项参数使该系统运行达到了较好的效果，能够获取典型的卫生装备网页信息。结论：向量空间模型法适合于网上卫生装备信息的识别，在系统收集效率和精度上及分类收集方面仍需对算法进行优化。     

Cancer in the thyroid is not always thyroid cancer

Most clinicians assume that a thyroid mass which appears to be malignant is most likely a tumour arising from thyroid cells. We present a case where the thyroid malignancy was associated with a degree of systemic clinical and biochemical disturbance which suggested alternative diagnoses, and in which fine-needle aspiration revealed that the patient had a thyroid lymphoma. Gastric biopsy showed that this was a primary gastric diffuse B cell lymphoma. Subsequent management provided a number of challenging and overlapping problems, and the patient eventually died from this high-grade malignancy. We review the prevalence, presentation, diagnosis and management of lymphomas presenting as thyroid masses, and underline the problems in management when there is multi-system disease.     

职业病危害因素监测网络直报信息的利用

职业病危害因素监测信息实行网络直报以来，信息的收集更加方便与快捷，直报系统也为我们提供了一些统计功能，但这些功能还无法满足我们实际工作的需要。本文以尘肺病网络直报信息为例，探讨利用网络直报系统提供的excel导出功能，对导出的excel数据信息加以利用，进行统计分析，以掌握全省发病动态。     

互联网医学信息检索及网站利用

通讯技术的飞速发展,使得医学信息资源的全球共享成为现实。当前互联网上的信息博大精深, 浩如烟海。据统计医学文献数量占全部科技文献总量的20％-25％。医务人员从网上获取信息资源,用于解决科学研究,医学文献写作,某个与病人诊断、