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Assessing the Validity and Reliability of Online Medical Information. Nancy B. Clark, M.Ed Director of Medical Informatics Education. Objectives of Session. Students will Demonstrate ability to evaluate the validity, quality and intended audience of medical information found on the web.
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Assessing the Validity and Reliability of Online Medical Information Nancy B. Clark, M.Ed Director of Medical Informatics Education
Objectives of Session • Students will • Demonstrate ability to evaluate the validity, quality and intended audience of medical information found on the web
Here is the Problem… Which of these sites are accurate? Which of these sites are reliable? Which of these sites are up to date? Which of these sites are not biased?
Types of Information Found Free on the Web • Majority Information for/by patients • Sales pitches, ads • Gov sponsored guidelines • Drug company sponsored resources What is NOT free? • Information for clinicians • Information for/by researchers
AMA Guidelines for Medical and Health Information Sites on the Internet Medical Library Association Net FamilyDoctor.org Health on the Net Code of Conduct HON Assessing the Validity of Information on the Web
Assessing the Validity • Site domain (going away) • .Gov • CDC • AHRQ • NLM.NIH • DHHS • FDA • States fl.us • .Edu • Medical Centers • .Org • Associations • AAFP • ACP • ACOG • Disease orgs • ADA • ALA • .Com • Commercial
Assessing Health Information • Site ownership • Funding and sponsorship • Contributors listed, credentials, contact info • Highly referenced, linked to primary literature • MEDLINE Abstracts/Journal Articles • Proceedings from scientific meetings • Timeliness: date posted, revised • Viewer access, payment and privacy
Wikipedia • List 5 ways Wikipedia does not fit the criteria as a reliable site. Steve Carell on Wikipedia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFBDn5PiL00 Hasty RT, Garbalosa RC, Barbato VA, et al. Wikipedia vs Peer-Reviewed Medical Literature for Information About the 10 Most Costly Medical Conditions. J Am Osteopath Assoc. 2014;114(5):368-373. http://www.jaoa.org/content/114/5/368.long
Exercise • Search Google for treatment of back pain • Rate the first 20 hits • Sponsor? Advertisements? • Audience? • Authors? • Links? • Date Revised? • Do advanced search limit to .gov domain (site:gov) and compare results • Search for prostate cancer screening
Assessing the Validity of Information on the Web • Library subscription resource = reliable
Be Skeptical You will be taught the principles of critical review of the literature in the fall along with Evidence Based Medicine (EBM)