Systematic review of internet patient information on colorectal cancer surgery

Abstract

Purpose: The internet is a common source of information for patients. No studies have been done to evaluate the quality of online patient information regarding colorectal cancer surgery specifically. The aim of this study was to assess the quality of internet content regarding surgery for colorectal cancer. Methods: A search was done using the terms "colorectal cancer surgery", "colon cancer surgery" and "rectal cancer surgery" in common search engines. All sponsored sites and side ads as well as the first 2 pages of results were evaluated for each search. Web sites were analyzed using the DISCERN instrument, a validated content analysis checklist. Exclusion criteria included any duplicate sites, any scientific articles, any site that needed a password to access, any blogs or forums, youtube videos and any site that was not in English. Results: Twenty web sites were evaluated. The sponsors of the web sites included professional societies (28%), nonprofit organizations (17%), industry (5%), government (5%), reference database (10%), academic medical center (5%) and unknown or private (28%). Overall, 35 % of sites were rated as "good/excellent" quality. Only 3 web sites identified the sources of information contained on the site. Forty-five percent were thought to contain some bias or incorrect information. Most sites discussed the risks (75%) and benefits (85%) of surgical treatment. as well as quality of life issues (70%). Conclusions: The quality of information on the internet regarding surgery for colorectal cancer surgery is highly variable. Evaluating web sites according to specific criteria may provide guidance to patients seeking reliable information that may assist with clinical decision making.