Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Michael G. DeGroote Centre for Learning and Discovery, Room 2112, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada.
Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy. 2021 Mar 19;16(1):23. doi: 10.1186/s13011-021-00361-2.
Amid a Canadian opioid crisis, many have turned to natural health products, such as kratom (Mitragyna speciosa), to manage their opioid withdrawal. Kratom has also been reported to relieve anxiety, improve stamina, and heighten physical performance. Given that kratom is not authorized for sale by Health Canada, many have turned to online retailers to purchase kratom due to its easy accessibility online. This study investigated the quality of consumer health information provided on the websites of online vendors selling kratom to consumers in Canada.
Following searches on Google.ca using search terms designed to simulate the information-seeking behaviour of a typical patient-user online, eligible websites were assessed using the 16-question DISCERN instrument, a tool designed to assess the quality of consumer health information. Searches were conducted on March 27, 2020 and only websites presenting information in English were included.
A total of 200 webpages were identified; after screening based on eligibility criteria and combining different webpages that belonged to the same website, 51 websites were found to be eligible. The mean summed DISCERN score across all 51 websites was 36.95 (SD = 2.44) out of 75, which reflects poor quality consumer health information across the subset of websites. The overall quality of websites was poor, as 78% (n = 40) of vendors received a score of 2 or less out of 5.
Individuals who seek information about kratom online are frequently exposed to poor quality consumer health information. Those looking to purchase kratom online are not provided with the critical information necessary to make an informed decision regarding its use, such as the complete details about the risks and side effects or a description of how kratom affects the body. Given the growing interest in kratom, knowledge of the quality of information available can lead to improved dialogue between healthcare providers and patients.
在加拿大阿片类药物危机期间，许多人转向天然保健品，如（Mitragyna speciosa）来缓解阿片类药物戒断症状。据报道，也能缓解焦虑、提高耐力和增强身体表现。由于加拿大卫生部尚未批准销售，许多人转向网上零售商购买，因为它在网上很容易买到。本研究调查了向加拿大消费者销售的网上供应商网站上提供的消费者健康信息的质量。
使用旨在模拟典型在线患者用户信息搜索行为的搜索词在 Google.ca 上进行搜索，然后使用 16 项 DISCERN 工具评估符合条件的网站，这是一种用于评估消费者健康信息质量的工具。搜索于 2020 年 3 月 27 日进行，仅包括以英文呈现信息的网站。
共确定了 200 个网页；根据资格标准进行筛选并合并属于同一网站的不同网页后，发现 51 个网站符合条件。51 个网站的平均总和 DISCERN 得分为 36.95（SD=2.44），总分 75 分，反映出这部分网站的消费者健康信息质量较差。由于 78%（n=40）的供应商的得分为 5 分以下的 2 或更低，因此整体网站质量较差。
在网上搜索有关的个人经常会接触到质量较差的消费者健康信息。那些希望在网上购买的人无法获得有关其使用的必要信息，例如关于风险和副作用的完整详细信息，或描述对身体的影响。鉴于对的兴趣日益浓厚，了解可用信息的质量可以促进医疗保健提供者和患者之间的更好对话。
