Healthy Skepticism Library item: 1228

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: Journal Article

Coleman B.
Producing an information leaflet to help patients access high quality drug information on the Internet: a local study.
Health Info Libr J 2003 Sep; 20:(3):160-71
http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/openurl?genre=article&sid=nlm:pubmed&issn=1471-1834&date=2003&volume=20&issue=3&spage=160

Abstract:

OBJECTIVES: To develop a patient information leaflet (PIL) to help local patients meet their drug information needs using the Internet, and to perform a preliminary evaluation of this tool. METHODS: Development—a cross-sectional survey of the drug information needs of local patients using a semi-structured questionnaire; assessment of websites offering free, consumer-orientated medicines information using set criteria; identification of consensus criteria to evaluate the quality of health-related on-line information; evaluation—views on a draft patient information leaflet from a focus group. RESULTS: Those surveyed felt that being directed to high-quality websites and being provided with assessment criteria for on-line information would be useful. The three websites fulfilling most of the set quality criteria were Surgery Door (www.surgerydoor.co.uk), InteliHealth (www.intelihealth.com) and medlineplus (www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus). The six most frequently cited assessment criteria were currency, authorship, commerciality, relevance, links and attribution. A draft leaflet was constructed listing the above three websites and six criteria along with tips on how to search the Internet effectively. A focus group reacted favourably. CONCLUSION: The Internet is a source of drug information—an information leaflet may help to guide local patients through its variable information quality.

Keywords:
Cross-Sectional Studies Drug Information Services/standards* Focus Groups Great Britain Humans Information Storage and Retrieval/methods* Internet/standards* Needs Assessment Pamphlets* Patient Education/methods* Questionnaires