bims-librar Biomed News
on Biomedical librarianship
Issue of 2022–07–10
eleven papers selected by
Thomas Krichel, Open Library Society
  1. Landscape of health sciences librarian-mediated search services.
  2. A 10-year follow-up survey of US academic libraries highlights the COVID-19 experience and greater interest in health information outreach.
  3. NHS librarians collaborate to develop a search bank peer reviewing and sharing COVID-19 searches - an evaluation.
  4. Is the Message Clear? Evaluation of Readability Levels for Cleft Lip, Cleft Palate, and Craniofacial Websites.
  5. Ectopic and impacted maxillary canines: A quality evaluation of online information.
  6. Review of the Quality of YouTube Videos Recommending Exercises for the COVID-19 Lockdown.
  7. A quality assessment of online patient information regarding tonsillitis using the EQIP tool.
  8. Readability of online e-cigarette cessation information.
  9. Quality of Internet Videos Related to Pediatric Urology in Mainland China: A Cross-Sectional Study.
  10. Quality of online information about migraine headache surgery.
  11. Barriers to Online Dementia Information and Mitigation.
  1. Health Info Libr J. 2022 Jul 07.
    Landscape of health sciences librarian-mediated search services.
    Danielle M Westmark, Teresa L Hartman, Cynthia M Schmidt.
       BACKGROUND: Health librarians have traditionally provided mediated searches to support patient care, education and research.
    OBJECTIVES: This study aims to discover the types of search result formats used by health science libraries, determine current practice among health science libraries (types of requesters served, fees, deduplication, turnaround time and citation manager use) and uncover innovative methods for providing search results.
    METHODS: An online survey was distributed to the MEDLIB-L, ExpertSearching, MidContinental Chapter of the Medical Library Association and ICON listservs and through direct email to selected Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries reference and education librarians.
    RESULTS: Librarians affiliated with 127 institutions from 11 countries (including the USS) and 36 USS states and territories responded. One hundred and forty-two of the total 150 analysed responses provided information on full-text access, and 81 of those 142 responses (57%) indicated that the institutions' link-resolver links were included in search results provided to the requester. The survey responses provide information on literature search services regarding turnaround time, use of a citation managers, fees and deduplication.
    CONCLUSION: With the developing landscape of citation managers and the tools offered, these data can be used as a benchmark for librarians who are considering evaluating or modifying their search service delivery.
    Keywords:  United States of America (USA); libraries, health science; libraries, hospital; libraries, medical; literature searching; mediated searching; surveys
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1111/hir.12447
  2. Health Info Libr J. 2022 Jul 05.
    A 10-year follow-up survey of US academic libraries highlights the COVID-19 experience and greater interest in health information outreach.
    Jodi Jameson, Lucy Duhon.
       BACKGROUND: As follow-up to their previous survey on health information outreach (HIO) in 2010, the authors became interested in the evolving nature of HIO activities at academic libraries within the past decade.
    OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to understand how HIO activities at academic libraries have evolved since 2010, especially considering the current COVID-19 pandemic.
    METHODS: An online survey, designed to collect quantitative data on general HIO activities and qualitative data specifically on COVID-19 information outreach, was distributed to over 1700 librarians at US general academic and academic health science libraries.
    RESULTS: Two hundred and fifty-five respondents completed the survey. Quantitative findings generally paralleled the 2010 results, except in a few areas. Most notably, a greater percentage of librarians in 2020 were participating in HIO (44%) than in 2010 (37%). Qualitative findings revealed that librarians are leveraging traditional information services and implementing innovative partnerships to promote reputable health information resources on COVID-19.
    DISCUSSION: Evidence suggests that further engagement and campus partnerships can enhance libraries' supportive roles as trustworthy purveyors of quality health information.
    CONCLUSION: US academic librarians are increasingly engaging in HIO to support the health information needs of campus communities and should consider aligning outreach activities with national health goals.
    Keywords:  United States of America (USA); consumer health information; health information needs; libraries, academic; libraries, health science; library outreach; research, qualitative; research, quantitative; surveys
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1111/hir.12446
  3. Health Info Libr J. 2022 Jul 09.
    NHS librarians collaborate to develop a search bank peer reviewing and sharing COVID-19 searches - an evaluation.
    Hélène Gorring, Pip Divall, Sarah Gardner, Anne Gray, Alison McLaren, Lindsay Snell, Eva Thackeray, Adam Tocock, Gil Young.
       BACKGROUND: Responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, Health Education England (HEE) mobilised a group of expert searchers from NHS libraries in England to develop a platform for librarians to share peer reviewed search strategies and results on the Knowledge for Healthcare website.
    OBJECTIVES: (1) To document the origins of the COVID-19 search bank, (2) evaluate attitudes of NHS librarians in England towards the search bank and (3) identify lessons learned and consider whether the initiative might be developed further.
    METHODS: Structured interviews with the peer reviewers (n = 10) were conducted, and a questionnaire survey of the NHS library community using the search bank was undertaken.
    RESULTS: The interviews confirmed the value of collaboration. Expert searchers worked in pairs to peer review submitted search strategies. The survey (85 responses) indicated that a majority had used the search bank, and approved of the project, with some differences of opinion on functionality and future developments.
    DISCUSSION: Collaborative working for the search bank probably saved time for individual NHS librarians. The quality of the searches submitted was variable as were librarians' approaches to presentation and development of search strategies. Peer review benefits from a buddy approach among expert searchers and agreement about feedback provided to contributors.
    CONCLUSION: Search strategies are the most useful element of a search bank. Peer review can be challenging and would benefit from a formal structure, but it is professionally rewarding.
    Keywords:  National Health Service (NHS); United Kingdom; collaboration; librarians; literature searching; peer review; search strategies
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1111/hir.12444
  4. Cleft Palate Craniofac J. 2022 Jul 05. 10556656221112672
    Is the Message Clear? Evaluation of Readability Levels for Cleft Lip, Cleft Palate, and Craniofacial Websites.
    George N Washington, Alfredo Cepeda, Joseph Moffitt, Connor K Groff, Matthew R Greives, Phuong D Nguyen.
      Web-based health information is the leading source of medical knowledge for patients and families. The American Medical Association (AMA) and US Department of Health and Human Services recommend reading material be at or below a sixth-grade reading level. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the readability of the most popularly searched cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) and other craniofacial syndrome (CFS) websites.
    Google searches for "cleft lip," "cleft palate," and "craniofacial syndromes" were performed to identify the top 40 websites in an incognito window with the location set to the United States. Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES) was used to determine ease of reading from 0 (most difficult) to 100 (greatest ease of reading) and Flesch-Kincaid Reading Grade (FKGL) for website content and compared between websites using an FRES of 80 to 90 and FKGL of 6.0 to 6.9 for a sixth-grade reading level.
    Readability was low for all sites with 6 CL/P websites and no CFS websites at or below a sixth-grade reading level. CL/P websites had FRES readability scores of 58.5 ± 12.3 and were at a 9.4 ± 2.3 grade level. CFS websites had readability scores on the FRES of 39.8 ± 13.1 and were at a 10.8 ± 1.8 grade level.
    Web-based information related to CL/P and CFS is on average several grade levels above the recommended sixth-grade reading level. Online information for CL/P and CFS may need to be revised to improve understanding for the public and families.
    Keywords:  craniofacial morphology; hard palate; lip form; parental perception; soft palate
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1177/10556656221112672
  5. J Orthod. 2022 Jul 05. 14653125221109281
    Ectopic and impacted maxillary canines: A quality evaluation of online information.
    Maurice J Meade, Craig W Dreyer.
       OBJECTIVE: To determine the quality of online information regarding ectopic and impacted maxillary canines (EIMCs).
    DESIGN: A cross-sectional survey on the Internet.
    MATERIAL AND METHODS: An online search using eight terms was carried out using four search engines. The relevant content of websites satisfying the inclusion and exclusion criteria were assessed for quality by applying three quality of information instruments and one readability tool. Statistical analyses were performed through GraphPad Prism 9.0.
    RESULTS: In total, 77 websites were evaluated. Most of the assessed content was associated with oral and maxillofacial surgery (49.35%) and orthodontic websites (31.18%). The overall mean DISCERN score was 38.05 ± 9.76/80 with 59.73% of websites recording a poor or very poor score. Three (3.9%) websites contained the HONCode seal. Twelve (15.58%) websites satisfied at least three out of a maximum four JAMA benchmarks and 11 (14.29%) satisfied none. The mean SMOG score was 9.81 ± 1.52 (95% confidence interval = 9.46-10.16; range = 6.7-15.1).
    CONCLUSION: The quality of online information related to EIMCs was poor and the content was difficult to read. Professional societies and clinicians should consider the use of quality of information and readability tools to enable the provision for reliable, high-quality and readable online information. This will assist EIMC treatment-related decision-making and management by patients and their families.
    Keywords:  Internet; ectopic canine; orthodontic; quality of information; readability
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1177/14653125221109281
  6. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Jun 30. pii: 8016. [Epub ahead of print]19(13):
    Review of the Quality of YouTube Videos Recommending Exercises for the COVID-19 Lockdown.
    Alvaro Manuel Rodriguez-Rodriguez, Maria Blanco-Diaz, Marta de la Fuente-Costa, Sergio Hernandez-Sanchez, Isabel Escobio-Prieto, Jose Casaña.
       BACKGROUND: The world is experiencing a pandemic caused by COVID-19. Insufficient physical activity can increase the risk of illness. Trying to replicate a normal search that any user/patient could do in YouTube, the objective of this study was to evaluate the quality of YouTube videos related to home exercises during lockdown and their adherence to World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations.
    METHODS: A simple search was carried out on YouTube. The first 150 videos were selected. After applying exclusion criteria, 68 videos were analyzed and evaluated. Two statistical analyses based on machine learning techniques were carried out. Videos were classified according to principal component analysis (PCA) models as 'Relevant' and 'Non-Relevant'. Popularity was assessed using the video power index (VPI). Information's quality and accuracy were gauged using the DISCERN scale and global quality score (GQS). Reliability and credibility of information that can be found on health-related websites was assessed using the Health On the Net Code (HONCode). Exercises were evaluated according to WHO recommendations.
    RESULTS: DISCERN, HONCode, and GQS scored a mean of 2.29, 58.95, and 2.32, respectively. The PCA calculation allowed videos to auto-classify into high- and low-quality videos.
    CONCLUSIONS: The quality of YouTube videos recommending exercises during lockdown is low and doesn't reflect WHO recommendations. Effective strategies and tools capable of indicating the quality of this information are needed to filter out erroneous or non-rigorous information that may affect people's health. These tools should help any user/viewer to distinguish videos of high and low quality.
    Keywords:  COVID-19; World Health Organization; YouTube; exercises; health promotion; lockdown; physical activity; sedentary behaviors
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19138016
  7. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2022 Jun 28. pii: S0165-5876(22)00185-9. [Epub ahead of print]159 111224
    A quality assessment of online patient information regarding tonsillitis using the EQIP tool.
    Lok Yin Kwan, Ho Cheung Anthony Yip, Sen Tan, Ka Siu Fan.
       BACKGROUND: Tonsillitis is a common paediatric condition. The decision to seek medical attention and consent to treatment is usually made by parents or guardians. With increased accessibility of the internet, online medical information plays an increasingly significant role in the decision-making process. Little is known regarding the quality of online patient information on tonsillitis, as this has not been previously studied.
    OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to identify the quality of information regarding tonsillitis on websites intended for the public.
    METHODS: We conducted a systematic review of online information on tonsillitis using the following search terms: "Tonsillectomy", "Tonsillitis", "Adenotonsillectomy" and "Tonsil". The first three pages of returned websites were captured and each website was examined using the validated Ensuring Quality Information for Patients (EQIP) tool (score 0-36).
    RESULTS: A total of 92 websites met the inclusion criteria for analysis. The overall median EQIP score was 19 with an interquartile range of 17-22 and a maximum of 32. More than half of all websites originated from the USA (61%) and hospitals were the most common source of information (29%). Most websites failed to describe the quantitative benefits or address the medical intervention costs and insurance issues. Half of the websites included both tonsillectomy and antibiotics as treatments for tonsillitis. Only 68% included complications of tonsillitis or tonsillectomy.
    CONCLUSIONS: The assessment of the quality of online patient information websites regarding tonsillitis by the EQIP tool indicates that most websites were of poor credibility, with minimal information regarding treatment choices and complications. To improve awareness of tonsillitis, there is a need for more informative and patient-centred websites that are compatible with the international quality standard for patient information.
    Keywords:  Adenotonsillectomy; EQIP tool; Online information; Patient information; Tonsil; Tonsilitis; Tonsillectomy
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijporl.2022.111224
  8. Tob Induc Dis. 2022 ;20 53
    Readability of online e-cigarette cessation information.
    Lindsey A Wood, Osayande Agbonlahor, Madeline M Tomlinson, Savanna Kerstiens, Kolbie Vincent, Alison C McLeish, Kandi L Walker, Joy L Hart.
       INTRODUCTION: Given the growing awareness of the health risks associated with e-cigarettes, many users will access information about how to effectively quit using e-cigarettes, and the internet likely will be a popular source of information. However, little is known about the readability of online e-cigarette cessation information. Therefore, the goal of the current study was to assess the readability of webpage information about e-cigarette cessation.
    METHODS: A search of webpages was conducted using the following search terms: vaping addiction, quit vaping, quit Juul, stop vaping, stop Juul, and vaping cessation. The 464 webpages identified were coded for target audience, message valence, and source, and then assessed for reading level with the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level assessment.
    RESULTS: On average, webpage content was written at a 7th grade reading level (Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level Mean=7.34, SD=2.22) and less than 25% of webpages met readability guidelines (i.e. ≤6th grade reading level). There were no differences in readability by target audience, message valence, or webpage source.
    CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that most online content related to e-cigarette cessation is not written at a level that is easily understood by general audiences. Thus, tobacco control advocates should assess the reading level of their messaging to ensure wide accessibility of information.
    Keywords:  cessation; e-cigarettes; internet; online health information; readability
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.18332/tid/149906
  9. Front Public Health. 2022 ;10 924748
    Quality of Internet Videos Related to Pediatric Urology in Mainland China: A Cross-Sectional Study.
    Gaochen Bai, Kai Fu, Wen Fu, Guochang Liu.
       Background: Pediatric urological diseases pose serious threats to children's physical and mental health. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in poor pediatric outcomes for cryptorchidism, hypospadias, and testicular torsion. Presently, many people tend to seek health information via social media platforms. This study aims to quantitatively assess the quality of videos as an information source for pediatric urology in mainland China.
    Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a search was performed on social media platforms (Tiktok, Bilibili, and Weibo) with the search terms "cryptorchidism", "hypospadias", and "testicular torsion". The first 30 results with any search term listed by relevance were selected in each platform. Video features (duration, number of likes, comments, and shares) and video sources were collected. Each video included in the study was assessed using DISCERN, Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Benchmark Criteria, and Hexagonal Radar Schema. A correlation analysis was performed considering video features, video source, DISCERN scores and JAMA scores.
    Results: A total of 152 videos were included and analyzed. The majority of videos were from physicians (65.8%). According to the DISCERN classification, most videos were rated as "very poor" (48.0%) and "poor" (36.8%). The mean DISCERN and JAMA scores were 36.56 and 2.68, respectively. The duration of videos uploaded by physicians was the shortest (P < 0.001). The video source had no relevance to numbers of "likes", "comments", "shares", DISCERN scores, and JAMA scores (all P-values > 0.05). Other than video duration (P < 0.001), there was no statistically significant difference between groups for any of the recorded or calculated video data (all P values > 0.05). Hexagonal Radar Charts showed the severe imbalance and deficiency of video information. In general, Tiktok videos with the shortest duration received the most numbers of "likes", "comments", and "shares", whereas the overall quality of videos on Weibo was relatively high.
    Conclusions: Despite most of the videos on social media platforms being uploaded by medical authors, the overall quality was poor. The misleading, inaccurate and incomplete information may pose a health risk to the viewers, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Much effort needs to be undertaken to improve the quality of health-related videos regarding pediatric urology.
    Keywords:  COVID-19; Chinese video; internet; pediatric urology; quality
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.924748
  10. J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg. 2022 Jun 12. pii: S1748-6815(22)00315-1. [Epub ahead of print]
    Quality of online information about migraine headache surgery.
    Jacopo Maria Frattaroli, Federico Lo Torto, Gianmarco Turriziani, Edoardo Bruno, Marco Marcasciano, Diego Ribuffo.
      Migraine headache is a debilitating disease that can lead to severe functional limitations and is the most common primary headache. In more than 30% of cases conservative therapies do not allow the control of symptoms or cause side effects. Peripheral nerve surgery should be considered in non-responsive chronic migraine or suspected peripheral origin. Nowadays Web has become one of the most important sources of knowledge for patients: the information available on the web is not subject to a control of the sources reliability but can influence the patient. The aim of the study is to evaluate the quality of information accessible on the Web about the surgical treatment of migraine headache. "Headache OR migraine treatment", "headache OR migraine surgery" were the keywords used on two main search engines (Google and Yahoo). Among the first 50 websites, 26 were suitable and we divided them into five groups (practitioners, hospitals, healthcare portals, professional societies, encyclopedias). We applied the expanded EQIP (Ensuring Quality Information for Patients) scale: the EQIP scale consists of 36 questions with three sections (content, identification data and structure). Although the overall average score was relatively high (22 out of 36), many lacks information were highlighted: overall, readability was not satisfactory in communicating information regarding migraine and its surgical treatment. Readability should be tested before medical online publication, in order to provide for its correct use by the patient and improving migraine knowledge.
    Keywords:  EQIP; Headache surgery; Migraine surgery; Online information
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bjps.2022.06.001
  11. Proc SIGCHI Conf Hum Factor Comput Syst. 2022 Apr;pii: 513. [Epub ahead of print]2022
    Barriers to Online Dementia Information and Mitigation.
    Emma Dixon, Jesse Anderson, Diana Blackwelder, Mary Radnofsky, Amanda Lazar.
      There is growing interest in HCI to study ways to support access to accurate, accessible, relevant online health information for different populations. Yet, there remains a need to understand the barriers that are posed by the way our platforms are designed as well as how we might overcome these barriers for people with dementia. To address this, we conducted sixteen interviews and observation sessions with people with mild to moderate dementia. Our analysis uncovered four barriers to online health information and corresponding mitigation strategies that participants employed. We discuss how HCI researchers may apply these findings towards new technical approaches and standards concerning information accessibility and credibility for neurodiverse populations. Finally, we broaden the scope of HCI research to include investigations of the accessibility and credibility of online information for people with age-related cognitive impairment independent of proxies.
    Keywords:  Cognitive Accessibility; Dementia; Misleading Information; Online Health Information; Scams
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1145/3491102.3517554
This page is being maintained by Thomas Krichel. It was last updated on 2024‒11‒22 at 4:18.