Human immunodeficiency virus on the web: a guided tour

Area of Science:

• Medical Informatics
• Public Health
• Virology

Background:

• The World Wide Web offers extensive information on Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).
• Identifying reliable and relevant online resources is crucial for healthcare professionals and researchers.
• Numerous websites provide valuable data on HIV treatment, management, and research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and categorize approximately 90 of the most useful websites for clinicians and researchers regarding HIV.
• To evaluate these websites based on content, target audience, and adherence to medical Internet publishing standards.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review and classification of approximately 90 HIV-related websites.
• Categorization based on content (e.g., treatment, journals, guidelines, databases) and audience (e.g., clinicians, laypersons).
• Assessment of website quality based on established medical Internet publishing standards.

Main Results:

• Websites were categorized into nine groups: comprehensive HIV treatment and management, online peer-reviewed journals, scientific meeting proceedings, textbooks/manuals/guidelines, government publications, research databases, clinical trial information, layperson resources, and specific HIV complication information.
• The selected websites represent a valuable collection of online resources for HIV information.
• The review provides a structured overview of the most pertinent online resources for HIV.

Conclusions:

• The World Wide Web serves as a significant repository of HIV-related information.
• This curated list of websites assists clinicians and researchers in navigating online resources for HIV.
• The identified resources support evidence-based practice and research in the field of HIV/AIDS.