Alseheimi Alaa M, Alseheimi Saleh M, Alhysoni Kholoud A
College of Medicine, Taibah University, Medina, SAU.
Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Ohud Hospital, Medina, SAU.
Cureus. 2024 Dec 28;16(12):e76526. doi: 10.7759/cureus.76526. eCollection 2024 Dec.
Introduction The internet is a crucial source of health information, including cancer-related topics, but the quality and reliability of these resources can vary, affecting patient decision-making. Objectives This study aimed to evaluate the quality of thyroid cancer-related websites in the Arabic language, using the DISCERN tool, and explore the content and sources provided by different types of websites. Methods A total of 78 websites were included after excluding 21 based on predefined criteria (e.g., duplicates, non-functional uniform resource locators (URLs)). The websites were categorized into commercial, non-profit, and individual types. Two independent reviewers assessed the websites using the DISCERN tool. Interrater agreement was measured using the k-score. A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare DISCERN scores across website types, and Spearman's rank correlation was used to analyze the relationship between website ranking and DISCERN scores. Results Almost all websites included a definition of thyroid cancer. Additionally, 15 websites (19.2%) covered the definition, clinical presentation, risk factors, diagnosis, and treatment, while 14 websites (17.9%) offered only clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment, and 11 websites (14.1%) offered other combinations of similar content. However, there was a lack of information regarding prognosis and predictors of outcomes following thyroid cancer surgery. The average overall DISCERN score for the 78 websites was 42.65 ± 12.35. Statistically significant differences were found in DISCERN scores across website types, with non-profit websites scoring the highest (38.93 ± 14.12), followed by commercial (37.67 ± 10.34) and individual websites (28.63 ± 10.02). A significant negative correlation was also found between website rank and DISCERN scores (Spearman's r = -0.38, p < 0.0001). Conclusion The study found that non-profit websites provide higher-quality thyroid cancer information compared to commercial and individual sites. Website ranking also affects content quality, emphasizing the importance of patients assessing online resources critically. Health organizations are encouraged to improve the visibility and quality of trustworthy information.
引言 互联网是健康信息的重要来源，包括与癌症相关的主题，但这些资源的质量和可靠性可能各不相同，从而影响患者的决策。目的 本研究旨在使用DISCERN工具评估阿拉伯语甲状腺癌相关网站的质量，并探索不同类型网站提供的内容和来源。方法 根据预定义标准（如重复、无法使用的统一资源定位符（URL））排除21个网站后，共纳入78个网站。这些网站分为商业、非营利和个人类型。两名独立评审员使用DISCERN工具对网站进行评估。使用k分数衡量评分者间的一致性。采用单因素方差分析（ANOVA）比较不同类型网站的DISCERN分数，并使用Spearman等级相关性分析网站排名与DISCERN分数之间的关系。结果 几乎所有网站都包含甲状腺癌的定义。此外，15个网站（19.2%）涵盖了定义、临床表现、危险因素、诊断和治疗，而14个网站（17.9%）仅提供临床表现、诊断和治疗，11个网站（14.1%）提供了类似内容的其他组合。然而，缺乏关于甲状腺癌手术后预后和结果预测因素的信息。78个网站的平均总体DISCERN评分为42.65±12.35。不同类型网站的DISCERN分数存在统计学显著差异，非营利网站得分最高（38.93±14.12），其次是商业网站（37.67±10.34）和个人网站（28.63±10.02）。网站排名与DISCERN分数之间也存在显著负相关（Spearman's r = -0.38，p < 0.0001）。结论 研究发现，与商业和个人网站相比，非营利网站提供的甲状腺癌信息质量更高。网站排名也会影响内容质量，强调了患者批判性评估在线资源的重要性。鼓励卫生组织提高可信信息的可见性和质量。
