Open AccessIs the information about dengue available on Brazilian websites of quality and reliable?
Author(s) -
Thiago Henrique de Lima,
Ivandilson Pessoa Pinto de Menezes,
Guilherme Malafaia
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
abcs health sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2357-8114
pISSN - 2318-4965
DOI - 10.7322/abcshs.v41i3.910
Subject(s) - dissemination , dengue fever , computer science , information quality , quality (philosophy) , the internet , interactivity , information dissemination , transmission (telecommunications) , reliability (semiconductor) , internet privacy , world wide web , medicine , information system , political science , pathology , telecommunications , philosophy , power (physics) , physics , epistemology , quantum mechanics , law
The objective of the present study was to identify and evaluate the content of information about dengue available on Brazilian websites. Thirty-two websites were selected for the analysis. For the evaluation of the content of information about dengue, a form was prepared with 16 topics grouped in six information blocks: etiology/transmission, vector, control and prevention, disease/diagnosis, treatment and epidemiology. The websites were also evaluated according to the following criteria: authorship, update, language, interactivity, scientific basis and graphic elements. The results showed a predominantly lack of information in relation to the topics analyzed in each information block. Regarding the technical quality of the websites, only 28.1% showed some indication of scientific basis and 34.3% contained the date of publication or of the last update. Such results attested the low reliability of the selected websites. Knowing that the internet is an efficient mechanism for disseminating information on health topics, we concluded that the creation of such mechanisms to disseminate correct and comprehensive information about dengue is necessary in order to apply this useful tool in the prevention and control of the disease in Brazil