Evaluation of Brazilian web site information on allergic rhinitis.
Nowadays, the World Wide Web (Internet) is an information source for non-experts and physicians.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate, based on ethical principles, Brazilian web sites information about "allergic rhinitis". Allergic rhinitis is a very common disease, effecting more than 10% of the general population, leading to decrease in quality of life.


METHODS
Review.


METHODS
We performed the evaluation of 173 Brazilian web sites, which were obtained from four search engines (Google, Yahoo, AltaVista and Radar Uol). The web sites were evaluated according to the Manual of Ethical Principles, Regional Council of Medicine of the state of Sao Paulo (CREMESP), regarding transparency, honesty, quality, privacy, medical ethics, informed consent, responsibility and origin.


RESULTS
Among the analyzed web sites, 149 (86.1%) were not in accordance with the Manual of Ethical Principles of Regional Council of Medicine of the state of Sao Paulo (CREMESP). According to the analyzed items, the irregularities that were found were quality (84.4%), privacy (46.2%), honesty (18.5%), informed consent (15.6%), responsibility and origin (13.9%), transparency (12.1%), medical ethics (2.3%). There was inaccurate information in 24.3% of the analyzed sites.


CONCLUSIONS
The majority of the websites regarding allergic rhinitis are not in accordance with the ethical principles of CREMESP. In general, the quality of a great part of the Brazilian web sites that address "allergic rhinitis", and the quality of the information disseminated by them, are insufficient to satisfy doctors and patients.
Silva
Leonardo Victor España Rueda
LV
Division of Clinical Otorhinolaryngology, Hospital das Clínicas, Medical School, University of Sao Paulo.
Mello
João Ferreira de
JF
Mion
Olavo
O
D022126:Access to Information; D001938:Brazil; D006801:Humans; D007255:Information Services / Q000941:ethics / Q000592:standards; D020407:Internet / Q000941:ethics / Q000592:standards; D009862:Online Systems / Q000592:standards*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000592:standards; D011786:Quality Control; D012220:Rhinitis / Q000628:therapy*