Breast cancer information on the internet: Analysis of accessibility and accuracy

Typeset version

 

TY  - JOUR
  - Quinn, EM,Corrigan, MA,McHugh, SM,Murphy, D,O'Mullane, J,Hill, ADK,Redmond, HP
  - 2012
  - January
  - Breast (Edinburgh, Scotland)
  - Breast cancer information on the internet: Analysis of accessibility and accuracy
  - Validated
  - ()
  - Breast Cancer Internet Patient information QUALITY RELIABILITY READABILITY
  - 21
  - 514
  - 517
  - Studies show internet sourced information often has poor accuracy. However, it is rapidly becoming a major source of patient information. Our aim was to assess accuracy of breast cancer-related information on the internet.The top five breast cancer-related search terms were identified using the commercial program "Wordtracker". These terms were searched using the search-engine "Google" and the top 100 webpages per topic analysed for applicability and accuracy of information.Overall 500 webpages were analysed. 42% were inapplicable to the question asked. Applicable accuracy rates were variable amongst the five terms: "breast cancer symptoms" 84%, "breast cancer care" 87%, "breast cancer stage" 88%, "breast cancer survival" 91% and "breast cancer signs" 78%. Educational websites were more likely to be accurate(p < 0.001) and interest group administered websites less likely to be accurate(p = 0.018) than other websites.Finding accurate breast cancer information on the internet is difficult due to large numbers of inapplicable unregulated websites preferentially returned via search engines. (c) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
  - DOI 10.1016/j.breast.2012.01.020
DA  - 2012/01
ER  - 
@article{V190496246,
   = {Quinn,  EM and Corrigan,  MA and McHugh,  SM and Murphy,  D and O'Mullane,  J and Hill,  ADK and Redmond,  HP },
   = {2012},
   = {January},
   = {Breast (Edinburgh, Scotland)},
   = {Breast cancer information on the internet: Analysis of accessibility and accuracy},
   = {Validated},
   = {()},
   = {Breast Cancer Internet Patient information QUALITY RELIABILITY READABILITY},
   = {21},
  pages = {514--517},
   = {{Studies show internet sourced information often has poor accuracy. However, it is rapidly becoming a major source of patient information. Our aim was to assess accuracy of breast cancer-related information on the internet.The top five breast cancer-related search terms were identified using the commercial program "Wordtracker". These terms were searched using the search-engine "Google" and the top 100 webpages per topic analysed for applicability and accuracy of information.Overall 500 webpages were analysed. 42% were inapplicable to the question asked. Applicable accuracy rates were variable amongst the five terms: "breast cancer symptoms" 84%, "breast cancer care" 87%, "breast cancer stage" 88%, "breast cancer survival" 91% and "breast cancer signs" 78%. Educational websites were more likely to be accurate(p < 0.001) and interest group administered websites less likely to be accurate(p = 0.018) than other websites.Finding accurate breast cancer information on the internet is difficult due to large numbers of inapplicable unregulated websites preferentially returned via search engines. (c) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.}},
   = {DOI 10.1016/j.breast.2012.01.020},
  source = {IRIS}
}
AUTHORSQuinn, EM,Corrigan, MA,McHugh, SM,Murphy, D,O'Mullane, J,Hill, ADK,Redmond, HP
YEAR2012
MONTHJanuary
JOURNAL_CODEBreast (Edinburgh, Scotland)
TITLEBreast cancer information on the internet: Analysis of accessibility and accuracy
STATUSValidated
TIMES_CITED()
SEARCH_KEYWORDBreast Cancer Internet Patient information QUALITY RELIABILITY READABILITY
VOLUME21
ISSUE
START_PAGE514
END_PAGE517
ABSTRACTStudies show internet sourced information often has poor accuracy. However, it is rapidly becoming a major source of patient information. Our aim was to assess accuracy of breast cancer-related information on the internet.The top five breast cancer-related search terms were identified using the commercial program "Wordtracker". These terms were searched using the search-engine "Google" and the top 100 webpages per topic analysed for applicability and accuracy of information.Overall 500 webpages were analysed. 42% were inapplicable to the question asked. Applicable accuracy rates were variable amongst the five terms: "breast cancer symptoms" 84%, "breast cancer care" 87%, "breast cancer stage" 88%, "breast cancer survival" 91% and "breast cancer signs" 78%. Educational websites were more likely to be accurate(p < 0.001) and interest group administered websites less likely to be accurate(p = 0.018) than other websites.Finding accurate breast cancer information on the internet is difficult due to large numbers of inapplicable unregulated websites preferentially returned via search engines. (c) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
PUBLISHER_LOCATION
ISBN_ISSN
EDITION
URL
DOI_LINKDOI 10.1016/j.breast.2012.01.020
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