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Quality of web-based information for osteoarthritis: a cross-sectional study

Pearson, J.; Dear, L.; Brotherton, J.; Guy, S.; Thomas, S.; Palmer, S.; Barrow, A.; Barrow, Alex; Palmer, Shea; Thomas, Sian; Guy, Stacey; Brotherton, James; Dear, Lawerence; Pearson, Jennifer

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Authors

J. Pearson

L. Dear

J. Brotherton

S. Guy

S. Thomas

S. Palmer

A. Barrow

Alex Barrow

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Shea Palmer Shea.Palmer@uwe.ac.uk
Occasional Associate Lecturer - CHSS - HSW

Sian Thomas

Stacey Guy

James Brotherton

Lawerence Dear

Jen Pearson Jen.Pearson@uwe.ac.uk
Senior Lecturer in Physiotherapy (MSK and LTC)



Abstract

© 2018 Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic condition that affects over 8.75 million people in the UK. Approximately 43% of people in the UK search for health and medical information online. However, health information on the internet is of variable quality. Research into the quality of online OA information is dated and there is a need to evaluate the existing information. Objectives: To assess the quality of websites which provide educational information for patients with OA. Design: Electronic cross-sectional survey. Methods: The search term ‘osteoarthritis’ was entered into the five popular UK-based search engines in order to identify 50 unique websites. These websites were appraised by two assessors using criteria developed from the available literature and recent guidelines of the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence. The appraisal considered the general quality of the website and OA-specific content. Results: Most of the websites evaluated (34/50, 68%) scored more than half of the maximum available quality score (max score 59). The median total score was 41. For general quality of the website, the median score was nine (range three to 16, out of 16), and for OA-specific content, the median score was 31 (range two to 43, out of 43). Websites of higher quality were created more recently, disclosed sources of information, had external seals of approval and directed the reader on to other relevant websites. Conclusions: The internet is a potentially useful tool for educating and empowering healthcare consumers. The websites evaluated were generally of a ‘high’ standard; however, there was wide variation in the quality of information.

Citation

Pearson, J., Dear, L., Brotherton, J., Guy, S., Thomas, S., Palmer, S., …Pearson, J. (2018). Quality of web-based information for osteoarthritis: a cross-sectional study. Physiotherapy, 104(3), 318-326. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physio.2018.02.003

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Nov 22, 2017
Publication Date Sep 1, 2018
Deposit Date Dec 13, 2017
Publicly Available Date Mar 29, 2024
Journal Physiotherapy (United Kingdom)
Electronic ISSN 1873-1465
Publisher De Gruyter Open
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 104
Issue 3
Pages 318-326
DOI https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physio.2018.02.003
Keywords osteoarthritis, Internet, patient education, websites
Public URL https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/878218
Publisher URL https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physio.2018.02.003
Additional Information Additional Information : This is the authors accepted manuscript. The final published version is available here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physio.2018.02.003.

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