Between Web search engines and artificial intelligence: what side is shown in laboratory tests?

Area of Science:

• Medical Informatics
• Health Information Science

Background:

• The proliferation of online health information necessitates evaluating the accuracy of laboratory test details.
• Website accuracy for medical resources is a growing concern for internet users.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the quality and origin of online health information retrieved via Google Search.
• To analyze user search trends for common laboratory tests over a five-year period.

Main Methods:

• Google Search was used with keywords: urinalysis, cholesterol, and prostate-specific antigen (PSA).
• Google Trends analyzed user interest over five years.
• Top search results were blindly reviewed for publisher type and content quality.

Main Results:

• Interest in all three lab tests increased over time.
• Editorial/publishing groups dominated website ownership (30-35.5%).
• Public health agencies and scientific societies were underrepresented; cited sources and author signatures varied in quality.

Conclusions:

• Online searches can expose patients to inadequately reviewed or written health information.
• The quality and reliability of online laboratory test information require critical evaluation by users.