The number of health-related websites out there is mind-boggling.
Many offer accurate, if basic, information, but the blandishments
of the latter-day snake oil salesmen aren't always distinguishable
from more disinterested advice.
Dr Donna D'Alessandro and the pediatricians
at the Children's Hospital of Iowa and associated University
of Iowa clinics decided their patients' parents needed
help finding better information. Their answer to the
problem was 'information prescriptions,' which guided
parents to trustworthy sites.
"We hear from patients and families
that they're having trouble finding good healthcare
information on the internet, and we hear from healthcare
providers that they think the families they treat are
using some questionable information," Dr D'Alessandro
said diplomatically. "Using internet prescriptions to
guide families to good information will help solve these
problems for both groups."
In a study published in the September
issue of the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent
Medicine, 100 sets of parents served as controls
and received no guidance, while 97 received internet
scripts that consisted of slips of paper on which physicians
noted websites that appealed to them or seemed appropriate
to patients' needs. In addition, four websites were
always printed on each prescription: the American Academy
of Pediatrics, MEDLINE Plus, GeneralPediatrics.com
and the Virtual Hospital.
Dr D'Alessandro explained what
she and her colleagues considered indicators of quality
in a patient-oriented health website: "Quality health
sites on the internet are from a reputable source, including
from reputable authors, and the sites are not trying
to advertise or sell a cure. In addition, the sites
have dates on them so you know how current the information
is."
Before the trial, 53% of the parents
had used the internet for pediatric health information
in the previous six months. In the two to three weeks
following their clinic visit, two-thirds of the Internet
prescription group had stuffed the paper in their pocket
and forgotten it, but 31 parents visited the web for
health information at least once, notching up a total
of 77 visits. This compared to just 11 users and 28
total visits in the control group.
The recommended sites accounted
for 66% of total use. Oddly, the parents were far more
likely to visit the four preprinted sites than those
added by the physician. Perhaps they couldn't read their
handwriting. On the other hand, only one visit by a
control group member was to a site that had been recommended
in the intervention group.
Overall, the researchers concluded
that the change was not earth-shattering but well worth
the minimal effort and zero cost. At least the info-script
carries no danger of side effects.
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