Abstract
Context: Despite the substantial amount of health-related information available on the Internet, little is known about the accessibility, quality, and reading grade level of that health information. Objective: To evaluate health information on breast cancer, depression, obesity, and childhood asthma available through English- and Spanish-language search engines and Web sites. Design and Setting: Three unique studies were performed from July 2000 through December 2000. Accessibility of 14 search engines was assessed using a structured search experiment. Quality of 25 health Web sites and content provided by 1 search engine was evaluated by 34 physicians using structured implicit review (interrater reliability >0.90). The reading grade level of text selected for structured implicit review was established using the Fry Readability Graph method. Main Outcome Measures: For the accessibility study, proportion of links leading to relevant content; for quality, coverage and accuracy of key clinical elements; and grade level reading formulas. Results: Less than one quarter of the search engine's first pages of links led to relevant content (20% of English and 12% of Spanish). On average, 45% of the clinical elements on English- and 22% on Spanish-language Web sites were more than minimally covered and completely accurate and 24% of the clinical elements on English- and 53% on Spanish-language Web sites were not covered at all. All English and 86% of Spanish Web sites required high school level or greater reading ability. Conclusion: Accessing health information using search engines and simple search terms is not efficient. Coverage of key information on English- and Spanish-language Web sites is poor and inconsistent, although the accuracy of the information provided is generally good. High reading levels are required to comprehend Web-based health information.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 2612-2621 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | Journal of the American Medical Association |
| Volume | 285 |
| Issue number | 20 |
| State | Published - May 23 2001 |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Medicine(all)
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Health information on the internet : Accessibility, quality, and readability in English and Spanish. / Berland, Gretchen K.; Elliott, Marc N.; Morales, Leo S.; Algazy, Jeffrey I.; Kravitz, Richard L.; Broder, Michael S.; Kanouse, David E.; Muñoz, Jorge A.; Puyol, Juan Antonio; Lara, Marielena; Watkins, Katherine E.; Yang, Hannah; McGlynn, Elizabeth A.
In: Journal of the American Medical Association, Vol. 285, No. 20, 23.05.2001, p. 2612-2621.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Health information on the internet
T2 - Accessibility, quality, and readability in English and Spanish
AU - Berland, Gretchen K.
AU - Elliott, Marc N.
AU - Morales, Leo S.
AU - Algazy, Jeffrey I.
AU - Kravitz, Richard L.
AU - Broder, Michael S.
AU - Kanouse, David E.
AU - Muñoz, Jorge A.
AU - Puyol, Juan Antonio
AU - Lara, Marielena
AU - Watkins, Katherine E.
AU - Yang, Hannah
AU - McGlynn, Elizabeth A.
PY - 2001/5/23
Y1 - 2001/5/23
N2 - Context: Despite the substantial amount of health-related information available on the Internet, little is known about the accessibility, quality, and reading grade level of that health information. Objective: To evaluate health information on breast cancer, depression, obesity, and childhood asthma available through English- and Spanish-language search engines and Web sites. Design and Setting: Three unique studies were performed from July 2000 through December 2000. Accessibility of 14 search engines was assessed using a structured search experiment. Quality of 25 health Web sites and content provided by 1 search engine was evaluated by 34 physicians using structured implicit review (interrater reliability >0.90). The reading grade level of text selected for structured implicit review was established using the Fry Readability Graph method. Main Outcome Measures: For the accessibility study, proportion of links leading to relevant content; for quality, coverage and accuracy of key clinical elements; and grade level reading formulas. Results: Less than one quarter of the search engine's first pages of links led to relevant content (20% of English and 12% of Spanish). On average, 45% of the clinical elements on English- and 22% on Spanish-language Web sites were more than minimally covered and completely accurate and 24% of the clinical elements on English- and 53% on Spanish-language Web sites were not covered at all. All English and 86% of Spanish Web sites required high school level or greater reading ability. Conclusion: Accessing health information using search engines and simple search terms is not efficient. Coverage of key information on English- and Spanish-language Web sites is poor and inconsistent, although the accuracy of the information provided is generally good. High reading levels are required to comprehend Web-based health information.
AB - Context: Despite the substantial amount of health-related information available on the Internet, little is known about the accessibility, quality, and reading grade level of that health information. Objective: To evaluate health information on breast cancer, depression, obesity, and childhood asthma available through English- and Spanish-language search engines and Web sites. Design and Setting: Three unique studies were performed from July 2000 through December 2000. Accessibility of 14 search engines was assessed using a structured search experiment. Quality of 25 health Web sites and content provided by 1 search engine was evaluated by 34 physicians using structured implicit review (interrater reliability >0.90). The reading grade level of text selected for structured implicit review was established using the Fry Readability Graph method. Main Outcome Measures: For the accessibility study, proportion of links leading to relevant content; for quality, coverage and accuracy of key clinical elements; and grade level reading formulas. Results: Less than one quarter of the search engine's first pages of links led to relevant content (20% of English and 12% of Spanish). On average, 45% of the clinical elements on English- and 22% on Spanish-language Web sites were more than minimally covered and completely accurate and 24% of the clinical elements on English- and 53% on Spanish-language Web sites were not covered at all. All English and 86% of Spanish Web sites required high school level or greater reading ability. Conclusion: Accessing health information using search engines and simple search terms is not efficient. Coverage of key information on English- and Spanish-language Web sites is poor and inconsistent, although the accuracy of the information provided is generally good. High reading levels are required to comprehend Web-based health information.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0035938722&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0035938722&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Article
C2 - 11368735
AN - SCOPUS:0035938722
VL - 285
SP - 2612
EP - 2621
JO - JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association
JF - JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association
SN - 0002-9955
IS - 20
ER -