Review of online breast cancer information encourages healthy skepticism for consumers
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In an extended analysis of Web pages dedicated to disseminating breast cancer information, researchers at two University of Texas institutions in the Houston have determined that while most breast cancer data found online was accurate, one in 20 breast cancer Web pages featured inaccuracies and sites displaying complementary and alternative medicine were 15 times more likely to contain false or misleading health information.
Published in the March 15 issue of Cancer and online today, the study was conducted by The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in collaboration with researchers at The University of Texas School of Health Information Sciences at Houston (SHIS) as one of a series of studies to determine whether existing quality assessment tools can identify false or inaccurate breast cancer information available online.
The Pew Internet and American Life Project estimates that more patients seek health information online rather than visit a physician.
According to Funda Meric-Bernstam, M.D., associate professor of surgery at M. D. Anderson, many of her patients have gone on the Internet for education and are savvy in their breast cancer knowledge even before their first appointment with her.
“Often it’s clearly a benefit. For example, I’ve had patients who were recommended mastectomies that were really breast conservation candidates. They actually figured this out by going online and then seeking out surgeons capable of performing the surgery,” says Meric-Bernstam, the study’s senior and corresponding author. “In contrast, there are times patients read about treatments that clearly do not apply to them, which can increase their level of anxiety or expectations for a treatment that they are not a candidate for. Of course, one also worries about patients who go online and then ultimately do not seek out any treatment despite it being necessary.”
In total, 343 Web pages, retrieved using search engines that consumers are likely to use, were analyzed. Each was reviewed for 15 quality criteria, including display of authorship, date of creation and last modification. It was important that the quality criteria be “reproducible,” says the study’s first author Elmer Bernstam, M.D., an associate professor at both SHIS and The University of Texas Medical School at Houston. Forty-one inaccurate statements were found on 18 of the different Web sites, or 5.2 percent.
“Consumers are taught to look for Web sites where the author’s credentials are identified, his or her affiliations are disclosed and other information is listed,” said Bernstam, an internist. “But none of this ensures accuracy.”
A more positive finding is that the breast cancer information available on the Internet is more accurate than other fields of health information, says Meric-Bernstam.
The authors recognize that while much has changed in terms of the wealth of information about health available on the Internet since the data was collected in 2004, the issue regarding specific quality criteria is timely.
“The question that we really tried to answer was if we could separate Web sites that have misinformation from Sites that have more accurate content. No combination of the criteria allowed us to differentiate the Web sites with accurate information versus those that did not,” Bernstam said.
Using such quality criteria, the researchers ultimately hope to develop a screening or automated tool to help consumers eliminate sites with misinformation.
“However, our current recommendation to patients is to be skeptical, make sure what patients read is applicable to their specific medical well-being and not to take action without consulting a clinician,” says Meric-Bernstram.
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In addition to Meric-Bernstam and Bernstam, other authors on the collaborative study include: Muhammad, F. Walji, Ph.D., Smitha Sagaram, Deepak Sagaram and Craig Johnson, Ph.D., all from The University of Texas School of Health Information Sciences at Houston. The study was supported by grants from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, National Library of Medicine, National Center for Research Resources and a training fellowship from the W. M. Keck Center for Interdisciplinary Biosciences Training.
About M. D. Anderson
The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston ranks as one of the world’s most respected center focused on patient care, research, education and prevention. M. D. Anderson is one of only 39 Comprehensive Cancer Centers designated by the National Cancer Institute. For five of the past eight years, M. D. Anderson has ranked first in cancer care in “America’s Best Hospitals,” a survey published annually in U.S. News and World Report.
About The University of Texas School of Health Information Sciences at Houston
The University of Texas School of Health Information Sciences at Houston is the first school in the country devoted exclusively to graduate Programs in Health Informatics, bringing together the engineering, computer and biological sciences to address biomedical research and healthcare challenges. The School provides educational and research opportunities in Informatics through interdisciplinary teams committed to collaboration at local, national, and global levels. Located within the Texas Medical Center, the School was founded in 1997, and is one of six schools in The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.
Contact: Laura Sussman
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University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
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