Quality of Web-based information on obsessive compulsive disorder

Area of Science:

• Digital Health
• Mental Health Information Dissemination
• Web-based Health Resources

Background:

• The internet is a primary source for mental health information.
• Individuals with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and their families seek reliable online information.
• Evaluating the quality of web-based OCD resources is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the quality of English-language websites providing information on OCD.
• To compare the efficacy of general versus specialized search engines in locating high-quality OCD websites.

Main Methods:

• Keywords related to OCD were used in Google and OmniMedicalSearch.
• Websites were evaluated for accountability, interactivity, readability, and content quality.
• The Health on the Net (HON) label and Brief DISCERN scale were employed as quality indicators.

Main Results:

• The content quality of examined OCD websites was generally good.
• Specialized medical search engines did not yield superior quality websites compared to general search engines.
• A Brief DISCERN scale score of 16 or higher correlated with better content quality.

Conclusions:

• Acceptable quality OCD websites are available on the internet.
• General search engines are as effective as specialized ones for finding quality OCD information.
• Patient-provider discussions about online health information remain essential.