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Depression in cancer: quality assessment of online patient education resources
Author(s) -
Li Zhang Hao Jim,
Wang Mingyang,
Ingledew ParisAnn
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
psycho‐oncology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.41
H-Index - 137
eISSN - 1099-1611
pISSN - 1057-9249
DOI - 10.1002/pon.5591
Subject(s) - readability , online search , interactivity , quality (philosophy) , rating scale , depression (economics) , medicine , accountability , descriptive statistics , inclusion (mineral) , cancer , computer science , psychology , world wide web , statistics , social psychology , mathematics , epistemology , developmental psychology , philosophy , political science , law , economics , macroeconomics , programming language
Abstract Objective Psychiatric comorbidities are common among cancer patients. However, little is known about the quality of online information regarding these conditions. This study uses a validated tool to systematically determine the strengths and limitations of websites addressing depression in cancer patients. Methods The term “depression in cancer patients” was searched online using the search engines Google, Yippy, and Dogpile. A set of predetermined inclusion/exclusion criteria was applied to all search results, which yielded 48 websites for inclusion. A validated rating tool was used to score the websites based on the six domains of Affiliation, Accountability, Interactivity, Structure & Organization, Readability, and Content Quality. The results were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results Of the 48 websites evaluated, 50% were commercial. 63% of websites identified authorship, 54% cited reliable sources, 37% provided links, and 38% were updated within the last 2 years. 94% of websites featured a search engine and 60% had at least four structural tools. Average readability was at a grade 12.3 level using the Flesch–Kincaid scale and 11.3 using the Simple Measure of Gobbledygook Index. The most completely and accurately covered topics of depression were symptoms and treatment—83% and 73% respectively. Its prevention and prognosis were not covered by any of the websites. Conclusions A validated rating tool was applied to evaluate the quality of online information for depression in cancer patients. Website accountability was poor, readability was often at a level that is too difficult for the lay audience, and the topics of prevention and prognosis were seldom covered.