title: Evaluation of the Quality of Online Information for Patients with Rare Cancers: Thyroid Cancer.
abstract: The Internet offers an easy and quick access to a vast amount of patient information. However, several studies point to the poor quality of many websites and the resulting hazards of false information. The aim of this study was to assess quality of information on thyroid cancer. A patients' search for information about thyroid cancer on German websites was simulated using the search engine Google and the patient portal "Patienten-Information.de". The websites were assessed using a standardized instrument with formal and content aspects from the German Cancer Society. Supporting the results of prior studies that analysed patient information on the Internet, the data showed that the quality of patient information on thyroid cancer is highly heterogeneous depending on the website providers. The majority of website providers are represented by media and health providers other than health insurances, practices and professionals offering patient information of relatively poor quality. Moreover, most websites offer patient information of low-quality content. Only a few trustworthy, high-quality websites exist. Especially Google, a common search engine, focuses more on the dissemination of information than on quality aspects. In order to improve the patient information from the Internet, the visibility of high-quality websites must be improved. For that, education programs to improve patients' eHealth literacy are needed. A quick and easy evaluation tool for online information suited for patients should be implemented, and patients should be taught to integrate such a tool into their research process.
authors.affiliation: Technische Hochschule Brandenburg, Brandenburg an der Havel, Germany.
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Kuenzel
authors.affiliation: Technische Hochschule Brandenburg, Brandenburg an der Havel, Germany.
authors.forename: Tabea
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Monga Sindeu
authors.affiliation: Dr. Senckenberg Chronomedical Institute, J.W. Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schroth
authors.affiliation: Working Group Integrative Oncology, Dr. Senckenberg Chronomedical Institute, J.W. Goethe University, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt, Germany. huebner@med.uni-frankfurt.de.
authors.forename: Jutta
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Huebner
authors.affiliation: Dr. Senckenberg Chronomedical Institute, J.W. Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany.
authors.forename: Natalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Herth
mesh_terms: D054626:Consumer Health Information / Q000592:standards*; D057220:Health Literacy; D006801:Humans; D007348:Insurance, Health; D020407:Internet / Q000592:standards*; D057386:Search Engine; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*
keywords: Evaluation tools; Internet; Patient information; Quality; Thyroid cancer