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Do cancer-specific websites meet patient's information needs?
Emily Warren1, Katharine Footman1, Michela Tinelli2
1Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, 15-17 Tavistock Place, London WC1H 9SH, UK.
Patient Education and Counseling
|January 23, 2014
Summary
Common cancer websites often fail to fully answer patient questions about breast and prostate cancer. An Information Comprehensiveness Tool (ICT) can help improve online cancer information and patient engagement.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Health Informatics
- Patient Education
Background:
- Online health information is crucial for cancer patients.
- Existing cancer websites may not adequately address patient information needs.
- Evaluating the comprehensiveness of online cancer information is essential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the information provision of frequently accessed breast and prostate cancer websites.
- To develop and apply an Information Comprehensiveness Tool (ICT) for evaluating online cancer resources.
Main Methods:
- A systematic literature review identified patient information needs.
- An ICT was developed to classify and score answers to 79 general, breast, and prostate cancer questions.
- Two independent researchers assessed websites found via Google search, with scores averaged and inter-rater reliability calculated.
Main Results:
- Biomedical questions were generally well-answered, scoring highest.
- Significant gaps were found in information regarding "future planning," "monitoring," and "decision-making."
- 17 questions remained unanswered thoroughly across all assessed websites.
Conclusions:
- Breast and prostate cancer websites require more comprehensive information to meet patient needs.
- The developed ICT can enhance the quality of online cancer information.
- Improved online resources can empower patients to actively engage with their healthcare decisions.
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