bims-librar Biomed News
on Biomedical librarianship
Issue of 2020–03–22
thirteen papers selected by
Thomas Krichel, Open Library Society



  1. Arch Soc Esp Oftalmol. 2020 Mar 14. pii: S0365-6691(20)30074-5. [Epub ahead of print]
      A description of a case is presented on a relationship between paper-based documents as a risk factor for fungal keratitis. A 32-year-old woman, a long-term contact lens user, presented with fungal keratitis in her right eye caused by Fusarium spp. while working with books and old documents as a librarian. Her visual acuity was hand motion in the right eye. She was satisfactorily treated with topical antifungal and antibiotic agents.
    Keywords:  Bio-deterioration; Biodeterioro; Cornea; Córnea; Fungal keratitis; Funghi; Hongos; Infectious keratitis; Queratitis fúngicas; Queratitis infecciosas
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oftal.2020.02.010
  2. BMC Med. 2020 03 18. 18(1): 89
      
    Keywords:  Antiscience; COVID-19; Coronavirus; Internet; Misinformation; Pandemic; Public health
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-020-01556-3
  3. Evol Psychol. 2020 Jan-Mar;18(1):18(1): 1474704920912640
      Selecting good sources of information is a critical skill to navigate our highly social world. To evaluate the epistemic reputation of potential sources, the main criterion should be the relevance of the information they provide us. In two online experiments (N = 801), we found that receivers are more thankful toward, deem more competent, and are more likely to request information in the future from sources of more relevant messages-if they know the message to be accurate or deem it plausible. To prevent sources from presenting information as more relevant than it is in order to improve their reputation, receivers lower the reputation of sources sending messages that are more relevant-if-true, if they know the message to be inaccurate. Our research sheds light on the reputational trade-offs involved in choosing what information to communicate and helps explain transmission patterns such as rumors diffusion.
    Keywords:  advice taking; communication; competence; impression management; relevance; reputation; rumor; source
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1177/1474704920912640
  4. Public Health. 2020 Mar 11. pii: S0033-3506(20)30033-0. [Epub ahead of print]182 53-55
       OBJECTIVES: When considering PreExposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) as a HIV prevention method, many rely on information available online. Limited research has examined the quality, including readability, of PrEP information on the Internet. The current study evaluates the readability of PrEP information online employing six commonly used readability tests.
    STUDY DESIGN: This is a cross-sectional study.
    METHODS: Using the Google Chrome browser, a search for articles was conducted using two terms: "pre-exposure prophylaxis" and "Truvada." The URLs of the first 50 English language websites for each term were recorded to create the overall study sample of 100 unique websites. Using six established readability scales, we determined the readability scores for each examined website. Websites were stratified by .com, .org, and .gov URL extensions to compare readability metrics.
    RESULTS: Mean Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL) was 9.5 (SD = 2.2), mean Gunning Fog Index (GFI) was 11.1 (SD = 2.7), mean Coleman-Liau Index (CLI) was 11.3 (SD = 2.0), while mean Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) Grade Level was 12.1 (SD = 1.8). Using Flesch-Kincaid Reading Ease (FRE), one article was found easy to read, while 23 were found of average difficulty to read. Mean New Dale-Chall (NDS) score was 7.3 (SD = 1.3), or grade 9-10. Mean reading levels were significantly different among the commercial, organization, and government sites, however, no category was at the recommended sixth-grade level.
    CONCLUSIONS: PrEP information online surpasses the reading ability of most U.S. adults. Improving the readability of PrEP information online may help to increase uptake of PrEP among populations at risk for HIV.
    Keywords:  Health literacy; Internet; Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP); Readability
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2020.02.002
  5. J Med Internet Res. 2020 Mar 16. 22(3): e16133
       BACKGROUND: Use of online clinical health care information has become part of the skill set required by medical teams. Nurses believe that information quality and availability affect nursing care and methods. However, nurses tend not to exploit professional medical databases for evidence-based medical information for their personal needs. This phenomenon has received little research attention.
    OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to address the knowledge gap around nurses' attitudes towards searching online for medical information for their personal needs (ie, for themselves and their families) by (1) evaluating the level of exposure to medical information and the effect on attitudes towards the use of online search options, (2) assessing the effect of the choice of a primary means of searching for medical information on the attitudes towards the use of online search options, and (3) gauging the influence of sociodemographic data and health status on nurses' attitudes towards searching online for medical information.
    METHODS: Nurses employed in general departments in a general hospital (34/210, 16.2%), nursing home (42/200, 21.0%), and geriatric medical center (45/180, 25.0%) in Israel were invited to complete the eHealth Impact Questionnaire (alpha=.95). Questionnaires were distributed by nurses in charge of the general hospitalization wards. The data collection period was February to March 2018. The response rate was 40.3% (121/300).
    RESULTS: Nurses tended to search for medical information for personal needs on social media (24/121, 19.8%) and TV (eg, health programs, health news; 23/121, 19.0%). Nurses who chose social media as their primary means of receiving general information had a positive attitude about using the online environment as a source for medical information compared to nurses who found information through other means (t119=4.44, P<.001). Nurses exposed to medical information via social media had a positive attitude towards the use of the internet to find medical information compared to nurses who were not exposed to social media (t119=3.04, P=.003). The attitudes of nurses towards the utility of online medical information for personal needs increased with better participant health status (F2,118=3.63, P=.03). However, the attitudes of participants with a chronic disease did not differ from those of healthy participants.
    CONCLUSIONS: Nurses in Israel are less likely to use their professional skills and knowledge to search in professional databases for evidence-based medical information for their personal needs. Instead, they prefer medical information that is easy to access and not evidence-based, such as that on social media and TV. However, these search patterns for personal use may affect their clinical role, impair quality of care, and lead to incorrect medical decisions for their patients in the health care system. Therefore, during nursing education, training for searching skills, retrieval skills, and online search techniques for evidence-based medical information is vital for evidence-based practice.
    Keywords:  eHealth; evidence-based practice; information retrieval; nursing education; social media
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.2196/16133
  6. Heliyon. 2020 Mar;6(3): e03439
      Credibility of social media travel information sources is one of the most debatable topics among scholars. This research is designed to address the trustworthiness of travel and tourism information sources of social media platforms. Cross-sectional research design and convenience sampling was applied. Statistical Package for Social Science version 23 was employed to compute mean, one sample T-test, independent sample T-test and one-way Analysis of variance. Eta squared was calculated to measure the effect size or magnitude of mean difference. The effective sample size is 310 visitors. The findings revealed that visitors had a positive perception towards the trustworthiness of social media travel information sources. Visitors with the age of 18-35 years have a higher level of agreement towards the trustworthiness of social media travel information sources. As the age of visitors increases, the mean scores marginally decreases where the lowest mean scores lay on visitors who are above 46 years. Limitations and managerial/industrial implications are detailed.
    Keywords:  Business; Digital ecosystem; Ethiopia; Information science; International visitors; Management; Marketing; Technology management; Tourism; Tourist destination; Traditional media; Trustworthiness; e-word of mouth
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e03439
  7. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2020 Mar 16.
       PURPOSE: The increasing availability of Internet as a health-care source causes both positive and negative effects on public health. Though reaching to information about diseases is faster and easier, the contents are not always correct and might be misleading. In our study, we aim to investigate the quality of YouTube™ videos on larynx cancer.
    METHODS: A YouTube™ search by using terms "throat cancer" and "larynx cancer" was done and, after eliminating the irrelevant videos, the first 200 videos were evaluated by three authors on quality, content and usefulness by using a pre-developed questionnaire. Videos were categorized according to the type and uploader separately to two (testimonial and educational) and five groups (health care, university, individual users, television channel/news and undetermined), respectively.
    RESULTS: Videos that are uploaded by university-affiliated accounts have significantly better audiovisual quality score and have significantly higher accuracy and usefulness score results. Furthermore, the accuracy and usefulness scores of the educational group were found to be statistically higher than those of the testimonial group.
    CONCLUSIONS: Videos uploaded by universities and videos that are created for educational purposes are superior to other sources in terms of quality, accuracy and content. Patient information videos discussing common health problems should be prepared and disseminated only by universities or health-care institutions.
    Keywords:  Communication; Internet; Larynx cancer; Patient information; YouTube™
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-020-05906-y
  8. World J Orthop. 2020 Feb 18. 11(2): 82-89
      The demand for revision total hip arthroplasty (THA) is increasing. Information quality on the internet has been extensively analysed in relation to primary THA but no such analysis has ever been performed for revision THA. Our aim was to assess the quality and readability of this information. Three major internet search engines were searched for information on revision THA. All websites were assessed for quality of information using the DISCERN score, the Journal of the American Medical Association benchmark criteria and a novel scoring system specific to revision THA [Vancouver Revision Arthroplasty Information (VRAI) score]. Website readability was assessed, as was presence of the Health On the Net Foundation (HON) seal. The majority of websites (52%) were academic with a post-graduate reading level. Only 6.5% of websites had the HON seal. Twenty-eight percent of websites had a 'good' DISCERN score and only 28% had a 'good' score with the novel VRAI scoring system. Health information websites had significantly higher rates of 'good' VRAI scores (P = 0.008). Websites with the HON seal had significantly higher DISCERN scores (P = 0.01). All governmental websites were at a reading level suitable for patient review. Information on the internet relating to revision THA is of low quality, much lower than the quality of information on primary THA. We recommend governmental websites for their readability and health information websites for their quality of information specific to revision THA. Websites with the HON seal provide higher quality information and should be recommended to patients as reading material regarding revision THA.
    Keywords:  Arthroplasty; Hip; Internet; Quality; Readability; Revision
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.5312/wjo.v11.i2.82
  9. J Med Internet Res. 2020 Feb 03.
       BACKGROUND: Current medical profession involves an extensive knowledge of the latest validated scientific data to implement disease diagnosis, therapeutic strategies, and patient care. Although clinicians can refer to a growing number and type of information sources to keep current with new scientific achievements, there are still various concerns about medical information validity, quality, and applicability into clinical practice. Novel strategies are required to identify physicians' real-life needs with the final aim to improve modern medical information delivery.
    OBJECTIVE: Our research used an innovative tool to collect real-time physician queries in order to investigate information needs and seeking behavior of Italian neurologists treating patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and migraine.
    METHODS: The study was designed as an exploratory mixed-method (ie, qualitative and quantitative) study involving 15 consecutive days of observation. A total of 50 neurologists (n=25 MS and n=25 migraine specialists) were recruited. Data were collected using an instant messaging mobile app designed for this research. At each information-seeking event, moderators triggered a computer-assisted personal interview including both semistructured interview and close-ended questions. Interactions and physician queries collected using the mobile app were coded into emerging themes by content analysis.
    RESULTS: Neurologist queries were relevant to the following major themes: therapy management (36/50, 71%) and drug-related information (34/50, 67%) followed by diagnostic strategies and procedures (21/50, 42%). Quantitative analysis indicated online resources were preferentially used by clinicians (48/50, 96%) compared with offline sources (24/50, 47%). A multichannel approach, in which both online and offline sources were consulted to meet the same need, was adopted in 33% (65/198) of information-seeking events. Neurologists more likely retrieved information from online relative to offline channels (F=1.7; P=.01). MS specialists were 53% more likely to engage in one information-seeking event compared with migraine neurologists (risk ratio 1.54; 95% CI 1.16-2.05). MS specialists tended to be more interested in patient-related content than migraine clinicians (28% [7/25] vs 10% [2/25], P=.06), who conversely more likely sought information concerning therapy management (85% [21/25] vs 60% [15/25], P=.05). Compared with MS clinicians, migraine specialists had a harder time finding the required information, either looking at online or offline channels (F=12.5; P=.01) and less frequently used offline channels (30% [8/25] vs 60% [15/25] of information-seeking events, P=.02). When multiple sources needed to be consulted to retrieve an information item, a reduced satisfaction rate was observed both among migraine and MS specialists (single source vs multiple sources P=.003).
    CONCLUSIONS: This study provides a detailed description of real-life seeking behavior, educational needs, and information sources adopted by Italian MS and migraine neurologists. Neurologist information needs and seeking behavior reflect the specific characteristics of the specialty area in which they operate. These findings suggest identification of time- and context-specific needs of clinicians is required to design an effective medical information strategy.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.2196/14979
  10. J Med Internet Res. 2020 Mar 19. 22(3): e14414
       BACKGROUND: Having a reliable source for health information is vital to build a strong foundation of knowledge, especially with the current revolution of the internet and social media, which raises many concerns regarding harmful effects on the health of the public. However, there are no studies on how the Saudi Arabian population seeks health information. Details about the most used and trusted sources of health information among the public will help health authorities and public awareness accounts on social media to effectively disseminate health information.
    OBJECTIVE: To investigate the types of sources accessed by the Saudi Arabian population while seeking health information, as well as their level of trust in the sources and to assess the impact of these sources on their perception of medical knowledge and health decision-making.
    METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted to meet the objectives. The study population included both men and women who were aged 16 years or more and visited primary care clinics at King Khalid University Hospital. Four hundred and thirteen participants were sampled using the simple random method, and a self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. The data were analyzed using SPSS software (IBM Corp, Armonk, New York, USA).
    RESULTS: A total of 413 participants were included in this study, and of these, 99 (24.0%) were males and 206 (49.9%) had a bachelor's degree. Doctors were chosen as the first source of information by 87.6% (283/323) of the participants, and they were completely trusted by most of the population (326/411, 79.3%). The second most commonly used source was pharmacists (112/194, 57.7%), and they were partially trusted by 41.4% (159/384) of the participants. Internet searches, social media, and traditional medicine were not prioritized by most of the participants as the first or second source of health information. The majority of the participants did not trust information obtained from social media, and WhatsApp was the most untrusted source. Almost half of the respondents (197/413, 47.7%) acknowledged that various sources of information can often help them understand their health problems. However, the majority disagreed on substituting a doctor's prescription with information obtained from the internet or a friend or relative.
    CONCLUSIONS: Although physicians were preferred and highly trusted, internet sources appeared to impact the medical knowledge of the population. The population still preferred to use internet search to obtain health information prior to a doctor's visit.
    Keywords:  health information sources; health perception; medical information sources; satisfaction; social media; trust
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.2196/14414
  11. Nutrients. 2020 Mar 12. pii: E750. [Epub ahead of print]12(3):
      People's accessibility to nutrition information is now near universal due to internet access, and the information available varies in its scientific integrity and provider expertise. Understanding the information-seeking behaviours of the public is paramount for providing sound nutrition advice. This research aims to identify who learners in a nutrition-focused Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) turn to for nutrition information, and how they discuss the information they find. A multi-methods approach explored the information-seeking and sharing behaviours of MOOC learners. Summative content analysis, and an exploratory, inductive, qualitative approach analysed learners' posts in MOOC discussion forums. From 476 posts, the majority (58.6%) of nutrition information sources learners reported were from websites. Providers of nutrition information were most commonly (34%) tertiary educated individuals lacking identifiable nutrition qualifications; 19% had no identifiable author information, and only 5% were from nutrition professionals. Qualitative themes identified that learners used nutrition information to learn, teach and share nutrition information. Consistent with connectivist learning theory, learners contributed their own sources of nutrition information to discussions, using their own knowledge networks to teach and share information. Nutrition professionals need to understand the principles of connectivist learning behaviours in order to effectively engage the public.
    Keywords:  information-seeking behaviour; nutrition education; nutrition misinformation; online learning; social media
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12030750
  12. MethodsX. 2020 ;7 100831
      Within a systematic literature review (SLR), researchers are confronted with vast amounts of articles from scientific databases, which have to be manually evaluated regarding their relevance for a certain field of observation. The evaluation and filtering phase of prevalent SLR methodologies is therefore time consuming and hardly expressible to the intended audience. The proposed method applies natural language processing (NLP) on article meta data and a k-means clustering algorithm to automatically convert large article corpora into a distribution of focal topics. This allows efficient filtering as well as objectifying the process through the discussion of the clustering results. Beyond that, it allows to quickly identify scientific communities and therefore provides an iterative perspective for the so far linear SLR methodology.•NLP and k-means clustering to filter large article corpora during systematic literature reviews.•Automated clustering allows filtering very efficiently as well as effectively compared to manual selection.•Presentation and discussion of the clustering results helps to objectify the nontransparent filtering step in systematic literature reviews.
    Keywords:  Clustering; Literature filtering; Systematic literature review
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mex.2020.100831
  13. J Epidemiol Glob Health. 2020 Mar;10(1): 6-15
      This review aims to locate existing studies on health-seeking behavior of people in Indonesia, identify gaps, and highlight important findings. Articles were retrieved from Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, Academic Search Complete (via Ebsco), and ProQuest with a number of key words and various combinations. Articles from Indonesian journals were also searched for with Google Scholar. A total of 56 articles from peer-reviewed journal databases and 19 articles from Indonesian journals were reviewed. Quantitative designs were applied more frequently than qualitative, and mixed methods designs were used in some studies. The majority gathered retrospective information about people's behaviors. Communicable diseases and maternity care were the most frequently studied conditions, in contrast to noncommunicable diseases. In terms of geographical distribution, most research was conducted on Java island, with very few in outside Java. Important findings are a model of Indonesian care-seeking pathways, an understanding of determinants of people's care choices, and the role of sociocultural beliefs. The findings from this narrative review provide insight to what and how Indonesians make decisions to manage their illness and why. This makes an important contribution to understanding the problem of underutilization of medical services despite the government's extensive efforts to improve accessibility.
    Keywords:  Concept of health and illness; Indonesia; health-seeking behavior; pathway of seeking care; social determinants of health; traditional medicines; utilization of health care
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.2991/jegh.k.200102.001