Comparison of search strategies and quality of medical information of the Internet: a study relating to ankle sprain.
OBJECTIVE
to evaluate the quality of web sites on ankle sprain diagnosis and treatment and to assess the impact of Internet search expertise on quality of retrieved information.


METHODS
two internet search strategies were conducted - one developed by an experienced information officer (expert's search) and the other based on the search terms used by orthopaedic medical staff (doctors' search).


RESULTS
the expert's search revealed 32 web sites, of which nine were relevant, whereas the doctors' search revealed 61 web sites of which 27 were relevant. Of the relevant web sites in the expert's search, one complied with all quality criteria, whereas none of the web sites in the doctors' search complied with all criteria (11 vs. 0%, P=0.25). The web sites identified by expert's search had higher credibility (median scores 70 vs. 44, P=0.01) and accuracy of content (median scores 50 vs. 35, P=0.24).


CONCLUSIONS
the quality of medical information on the internet is generally poor and information experts can capture higher quality web sites compared with doctors.
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Maastricht University, Alexander Battalaan 31, 6221 CA, Maastricht, The Netherlands. dorstignijlpaard@hotmail.com
ter Riet
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Khan
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Misso
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D016512:Ankle Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D016247:Information Storage and Retrieval / Q000592:standards*; D020407:Internet / Q000592:standards*; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital; D009985:Orthopedics; D013180:Sprains and Strains / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*