title: A nationwide evaluation on electronic medication-related information provided by hospital websites.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to describe the characteristics of electronic medication-related information (e-MRI) via Internet offered by the hospital settings in Taiwan.
  
  
  METHODS
  The structured Internet search and comprehensive review were performed on the most commonly used search engines in Taiwan. The assessment checklists were developed to describe the characteristics of general, e-MRI in the years 2008 and 2010, and specific digoxin information in 2011 based on the operational definitions derived from other studies. The descriptive analyses and chi-square tests for the retrieved data were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  With approximately 15% of hospital settings providing general, e-MRI on their websites, their content varied but was not statistically significant, and different among the providers from different levels of hospitals and in different years. More medical centres provided the information with the updated dates and contact approaches than the smaller scale hospitals. Little was found about reference citation and authorships for those general, e-MRI websites. More medical centres created the accesses to search for the individual prescription in the corresponding settings and the specific information about digoxin storage. However, more district hospitals provided the precaution and dosage form information about digoxin.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The providers to offer the e-MRI via hospital websites in Taiwan could be more responsible for its update, authorship and evidence. Further, the provision of electronic medication-related information via the Internet should be regularly examined or audited by the neutral personnel or organizations to ensure its quality.
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute and School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan. hsiangwl@mail.cmu.edu.tw
authors.forename: Hsiang-Wen
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Chung-Hui
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Ku
authors.forename: Jui-fen
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: An Chee
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Chia-Hung
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Chou
mesh_terms: D054626:Consumer Health Information / Q000592:standards*; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D016247:Information Storage and Retrieval / Q000592:standards; D020407:Internet / Q000592:standards*; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D057386:Search Engine; D013624:Taiwan
chemical_list: D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations