bims-librar Biomed News
on Biomedical librarianship
Issue of 2023–04–09
eleven papers selected by
Thomas Krichel, Open Library Society
  1. Academic libraries' leaders' decision-making during the COVID-19 crisis.
  2. Searching the web for science: how small mistakes create big problems.
  3. An integrative review protocol on interventions to improve users' ability to identify trustworthy online health information.
  4. Online Information Related to Symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Google Search Analysis.
  5. Quality, Readability, and Accessibility of Online Content From a Google Search of "Macular Degeneration": Critical Analysis.
  6. Online health information on thyroid nodules: do patients understand them?
  7. A critical readability and quality analysis of internet-based patient information on neck dissections.
  8. Evaluation of YouTube videos addressing thoracoscopic sympathectomy using the LAP-VEGaS guidelines.
  9. Quality analysis of YouTube videos on vulvodynia.
  10. Analyzing the quality and educational value of Achilles tendinopathy-related videos on TikTok.
  11. Development and preliminary testing of a questionnaire to measure mobile health information-seeking behaviour in people with cancer.
  1. Journal of academic librarianship. 2023 May;49(3): 102709
    Academic libraries' leaders' decision-making during the COVID-19 crisis.
    Liisi Lembinen.
      During the COVID-19 crisis, leaders of academic libraries had to make various decisions to retain library relevance and maintain essential services. The COVID-19 crisis raised the question of libraries' value to their universities more than ever. Libraries were facing financial difficulties but also operational challenges due to the services built around physical libraries. This paper uses a mixed methods approach to investigate academic library leaders' decision-making during the first year of the COVID-19 crisis. It combines quantitative and qualitative data from previous studies with primary data collected by the author to determine what kind of decisions university library leaders faced during the crisis and why. These studies show that leaders were concerned about the following main challenges: lack of access to physical services and collections, the safety of staff and patrons, new ways of working, and the library's role during the crisis. The results show that library leaders made decisions in smaller groups or some cases, individually due to the lack of time or information. While there have been numerous studies on libraries' response to the COVID-19 crisis in the past three years, this paper focuses mainly on academic library leaders and their decision-making to solve the crisis for their libraries.
    Keywords:  Academic libraries; COVID-19 crisis; Decision-making; Library leadership
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2023.102709
  2. Nature. 2023 Apr 06.
    Searching the web for science: how small mistakes create big problems.
    Jack Leeming.
      
    Keywords:  Careers; Publishing; Research management
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-023-01011-2
  3. PLoS One. 2023 ;18(4): e0284028
    An integrative review protocol on interventions to improve users' ability to identify trustworthy online health information.
    Hind Mohamed, Jon Salsberg, Dervla Kelly.
       BACKGROUND: The epidemiological transition phenomena drive the attention to focus the scope on health literacy as it has an impact on patients' health outcomes and quality of life.
    AIM: This paper aims to explore the implemented interventions for improving users' ability to identify trustworthy online health information.
    METHODOLOGY: A comprehensive search of the literature will be conducted on the following electronic bibliographic databases: Ovid Medline, Embase, Cochrane database, Academic search complete and APA psycinfo. Further, manual search of eligible studies reference lists will be carried out to identify other eligible studies. The search strategy will include a combination of three key blocks of terms, namely: (adult OR adults) Or (patient OR patients) OR (layperson OR laypersons) OR (caregiver OR caregivers), (Intervention OR Interventions) OR Educational programs OR (health literacy And curriculum) OR Community outreach OR Interactive workshops OR (Online portal OR Patient Portals), and information seeking behavior OR consumer health information OR online information OR social media OR access to information. The results of these categories will then be combined using the AND connector. Two independent reviewers will screen and assess data quality. Disagreements will be resolved by consensus. Due to the anticipated methodological pluralism of the potentially eligible studies, a narrative synthesis of the findings on interventions aimed at improving users' ability to identify trustworthy online information will be provided according to the pre-identified thematic areas. Furthermore, a narrative synthesis of the reported barriers and facilitators for applying these interventions by end users.
    EXPECTED RESULTS AND IMPACT: Given that the focus of our review findings is on understanding the breadth and depth of the global research into interventions to improve users' ability to identify trustworthy online health information. The findings will be of great value to inform future innovative approaches to promote identification of trustable online sources for young people worldwide.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0284028
  4. Cureus. 2023 Feb;15(2): e35586
    Online Information Related to Symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Google Search Analysis.
    Brian K Foster, Nicholas R Brule, Clarice Callahan, Jessica Baylor, Joel C Klena, Louis C Grandizio.
      Introduction While Google is frequently used to access internet-based health resources, the quality of online health information remains variable. Our purpose was to assess suggested resources identified through Google search features for common symptoms related to carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Methods Two searches were performed. The first, labeled "symptom-related," included the terms "hand numbness," "hand tingling," and "hand falling asleep." The second, labeled "CTS-specific," included "carpal tunnel syndrome," "carpal tunnel surgery," and "carpal tunnel release." A novel feature of Google's search engine is to display similar searches made by other users ("People Also Ask" snippet). For each search, the first 100 results snippets and the associated website links were recorded. A list of unique questions was compiled and classified into 1 of 3 categories using the Rothwell classification: fact, policy, or value. Questions were also classified based on the diagnoses suggested by the query. Website authorship was determined, and the corresponding links were categorized by two independent reviewers. Results The "symptom-related" searches yielded 175 unique questions and 130 unique website links, and the "CTS-specific" searches yielded a total of 243 questions and 179 unique links. For "symptom-related" searches, 65% of questions suggested a diagnosis, with CTS being suggested as a diagnosis for only 3% of questions. In contrast, CTS was suggested by 92% of questions in "CTS-specific" searches. In both searches, nearly 75% of questions were classified as "facts." Commercial websites were the most common in both searches. Conclusion Google searches for common symptoms of median nerve compression rarely yield information related to CTS.
    Keywords:  carpal tunnel syndrome; google; hand surgery; median nerve; patient education
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.35586
  5. J Vitreoretin Dis. 2022 Nov-Dec;6(6):6(6): 437-442
    Quality, Readability, and Accessibility of Online Content From a Google Search of "Macular Degeneration": Critical Analysis.
    Hong-Uyen Hua, Nadim Rayess, Angela S Li, Diana Do, Ehsan Rahimy.
       Purpose: This work aims to assess the quality, accountability, readability, accessibility, and presence of Spanish translation in online material through a Google search of "macular degeneration".
    Methods: In this retrospective cross-sectional analysis of website results from a Google search of "macular degeneration", the quality and accountability for each website were assessed using the DISCERN criteria and the Health on the Net Foundation Code of Conduct (HONcode) principles. All 31 sites were independently graded by 2 ophthalmologists. Readability was evaluated using an online tool. The presence of accessibility features on the website and Spanish translation was recorded. The primary outcome measure was the DISCERN and HONcode quality and accountability scores of each website. Secondary outcome measures included the readability, accessibility, and presence of Spanish translation.
    Results: The mean ± SD of each criterion across all 15 DISCERN questions was 2.761 ± 0.666 (out of 5). The mean HONcode score for all websites was 7.355 ± 3.123. The mean consensus reading grade level was 10.258 ± 2.49. There were no statistically significant differences in any score between the top 5 websites and the bottom 26 websites evaluated. Accessibility was available on 10 of 31 websites. Spanish translation was available on 10 of 31 websites.
    Conclusions: The top 5 websites that appeared on a Google search did not have better quality or readability of online content. Improving quality, accountability, and readability can help improve patients' health literacy regarding macular degeneration.
    Keywords:  Google; content; macular degeneration; online; online information; patient education; quality; readability; retina; search
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1177/24741264221094683
  6. Minerva Endocrinol (Torino). 2023 Apr 06.
    Online health information on thyroid nodules: do patients understand them?
    Emine A Cimbek, Ahmet Cimbek.
       BACKGROUND: Given the lack of a previous study assessing understandability and considering there is only one study assessing the readability and quality of online information related to thyroid nodules, we aimed to assess the readability, understandability, and quality of online patient education materials on thyroid nodules.
    METHODS: Materials were identified through an online search performed by inputting the term "thyroid nodule" into Google. A total of 150 websites were identified, 59 met the inclusion criteria. Websites were classified as academic and hospital (N.=29), physician and clinic (N.=7), organization (N.=12), and health information websites (N.=11). The readability was evaluated using an online system performing a group of validated readability tests. The Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool (PEMAT) was utilized to assess the understandability. The quality was evaluated through the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmark criteria.
    RESULTS: Among all websites, the mean reading grade level was 11.25±1.88 (range, 8-16), well above the recommended sixth grade reading level (P<0.001). The mean PEMAT Score was 57.4±14.5% (range, 31-88%). For all groups of types of websites, the understandability score was below 70%. There was no statistical difference between the groups for the average reading grade level or the PEMAT score (P=0.379 and P=0.26, respectively). The average JAMA benchmark score was 1.86±1.38 (range 0-4), health information-based websites scored the highest (P=0.007).
    CONCLUSIONS: Online resources on thyroid nodules are written at grade levels above the recommended reading level. Most resources scored poorly using the PEMAT and varied in quality. Future work should focus on developing understandable, high-quality, and grade-level appropriate materials.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.23736/S2724-6507.23.03952-0
  7. World J Otorhinolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2023 Mar;9(1): 59-65
    A critical readability and quality analysis of internet-based patient information on neck dissections.
    Elysia M Grose, Joo Hyun Kim, Justine Philteos, Marc Levin, Jong Wook Lee, Eric A Monteiro.
       Objective: Patients are increasingly turning to the Internet as a source of healthcare information. Given that neck dissection is a common procedure within the field of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, the aim of this study was to evaluate the quality and readability of online patient education materials on neck dissection.
    Methods: A Google search was performed using the term "neck dissection." The first 10 pages of a Google search using the term "neck dissection" were analyzed. The DISCERN instrument was used to assess quality of information. Readability was calculated using the Flesch-Reading Ease, Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, Gunning-Fog Index, Coleman-Liau Index, and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook Index.
    Results: Thirty-one online patient education materials were included. Fifty-five percent (n = 17) of results originated from academic institutions or hospitals. The mean Flesch-Reading Ease score was 61.2 ± 11.9. Fifty-two percent (n = 16) of patient education materials had Flesch-Reading Ease scores above the recommended score of 65. The average reading grade level was 10.5 ± 2.1. The average total DISCERN score was 43.6 ± 10.1. Only 26% of patient education materials (PEMs) had DISCERN scores corresponding to a "good quality" rating. There was a significant positive correlation between DISCERN scores and both Flesch-Reading Ease scores and average reading grade level.
    Conclusions: The majority of patient education materials were written above the recommended sixth-grade reading level and the quality of online information pertaining to neck dissections was found to be suboptimal. This research highlights the need for patient education materials regarding neck dissection that are high quality and easily understandable by patients.
    Keywords:  Health literacy; Neck dissection; Online patient education materials; Quality; Readability
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wjorl.2021.07.001
  8. Front Surg. 2023 ;10 1133124
    Evaluation of YouTube videos addressing thoracoscopic sympathectomy using the LAP-VEGaS guidelines.
    Ottavio Adorisio, Enrico Davoli, Francesco De Peppo.
       Introduction: The study aims to evaluate the quality of videos addressing thoracoscopic sympathectomy on YouTube® using the LAParoscopic surgery Video Educational GuidelineS (LAP-VEGaS) criteria.
    Methods: YouTube was searched using the following keyword: "thoracoscopic sympathectomy" on August 22, 2021. The first 50 videos were analyzed and classified for baseline characteristics and conformity to the LAP-VEGaS checklist.
    Results: Duration ranged from 19 s to 22 min. The mean number of likes was 14.8 (range 0-80). The mean number of dislikes was 2.5 (range 0-14). The mean number of comments was 8.5 (range 0-67). Nineteen videos did not meet our criteria and were excluded. Regarding the remaining 31 videos, none contained all 16 points of the LAP-VEGaS essential checklist (mean 5.4 points, range 2-14 points), with almost all neglecting preoperative information and outcomes. The mean percentage of conformity was 37% (range 12%-93%). The most viewed videos were not associated with higher conformity to LAP-VEGaS criteria showing only 4/16 points (25%).
    Conclusions: The quality of videos addressing TS on YouTube®, based on the LAP-VEGaS checklist may be considered not acceptable. Experienced surgeons and surgeons in trainees should be aware of this when using it as a learning resource in their clinical practice.
    Keywords:  LAP-VEGaS; YouTube®; hyperhidrosis; internet; thoracoscopic sympathectomy
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3389/fsurg.2023.1133124
  9. Sex Med. 2023 Feb;11(1): qfac013
    Quality analysis of YouTube videos on vulvodynia.
    Savas Ozgur Aglamis, Samet Senel, Antonios Koudonas.
       Background: Social media, with its low cost and easy accessibility, represents an ideal medium for sharing medical interests, but the quality of its content is questionable.
    Aim: The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of video content related to vaginismus on YouTube as a source of information by using scores of established classification systems. The secondary aim was to examine the relationship between objective and subjective measures of their quality.
    Methods: The term vaginismus was typed into the YouTube search bar (http://www.youtube.com). The first 50 videos with the highest number of views were included in the study. All videos were assessed on August 18, 2022, by a gynecologist and/or a urologist experienced in vulvodynia. Data of all the videos were recorded, such as source, content, duration, day since upload date, number of views, number of likes, number of comments, and views per day. The Global Quality Scale (GQS) and modified DISCERN score were employed to assess the quality of the videos.
    Outcomes: The primary outcomes of this study were the scores of established classification systems and the measures relating to the preference and evaluation of viewers of YouTube videos on vulvodynia.
    Results: A total of 50 videos were evaluated. The sources of 32 (64%) of these videos were "universities/professional organizations/nonprofit physicians/physicians" and "stand-alone health information websites." The GQS and modified DISCERN scores of the videos whose source was "universities/professional organizations/nonprofit physicians/physicians" were higher than those whose source was "talk show programs/television programs" (P = .014 for GQS score, P = .046 for modified DISCERN score). When classified according to GQS score, the quality level of 58% of the videos was low. Of the videos whose source was "universities/professional organizations/nonprofit physicians/physicians," 56.3% were of good quality.
    Clinical Implications: The quality of information was very low and suggested that health care professionals should take on a more active role in configuring the qualitative characteristics of the material available online about the given health issues.
    Strengths and Limitations: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the quality of YouTube videos on vaginismus (vulvodynia). However, the limitation of this study is the relatively subjective evaluation of videos, including the risk of observer bias, although we attempted to overcome this problem with the inclusion of 2 independent reviewers and the use of validated tools.
    Conclusion: YouTube videos may offer a huge amount of information about this condition, but the quality of the available sources is heterogeneous.
    Keywords:  DISCERN; GQS; YouTube; quality; vaginismus
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1093/sexmed/qfac013
  10. Foot Ankle Surg. 2023 Apr 01. pii: S1268-7731(23)00069-3. [Epub ahead of print]
    Analyzing the quality and educational value of Achilles tendinopathy-related videos on TikTok.
    Troy Q Tabarestani, Albert T Anastasio, Anthony Duruewuru, Joshua R Taylor, Mikhail A Bethell, Samuel B Adams.
       BACKGROUND: Social media platforms, like TikTok, have become popular options for the consumption and distribution of healthcare information. Due to the lack of scientific oversight, the consistency of healthcare-related videos has become a focus of the current literature. However, orthopaedic surgery has lagged behind other specialties in acknowledging the widespread utilization of TikTok videos for medical information. This study aims to assess the quality and educational benefits of Achilles tendinopathy-related TikTok videos.
    METHODS: TikTok was queried using the hashtags "#achillestendonexercises", "achillestendonitisexercises", "achillestendinosisexercises", and "achillestendinopathyexercises". 100 videos (25 for each term) were included after applying the exclusion criteria. The number of views, likes, shares, comments, and favorites was recorded. The content was graded using DISCERN (a well-validated informational analysis tool) and ATEES (a self-designed tool for exercise evaluation).
    RESULTS: The total number of views of the 100 videos was 1647,148, with a median of 7562.5 (IQR = 2,281- 19,575). The videos collectively received 73,765 likes, 1125 comments, 14,491 favorites and 6897 shares with a median of 283 (IQR= 73.8-957.8), 7 (IQR= 1.8-16.0), 61.5 (IQR= 8.8-184.3), and 18.5 (IQR= 2.0-49.8), respectively. General users uploaded slightly less (48%) when compared to healthcare professionals (52%). Healthcare professionals had more videos graded as "very poor" (43.4%) in comparison to the general users (36.2%). General users had more videos graded as "poor" (63.8%) in comparison to healthcare professionals (54.7%). However, there were no significant differences between the groups on either of the video grading scales.
    CONCLUSION: Although TikTok is a powerful tool for information distribution, the educational value of the videos related to Achilles tendinopathy exercises was poor. With only 1% of videos receiving a grade of 'fair,' and no videos reaching a score of 'good' or 'excellent', healthcare professionals should be aware of the high viewership of low-quality content easily accessible on TikTok.
    LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3:
    Keywords:  Achilles Tendinopathy; Achilles exercises; Achilles rehabilitation; Education; Healthcare; Social media; TikTok
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fas.2023.03.007
  11. Nurs Open. 2023 Apr 03.
    Development and preliminary testing of a questionnaire to measure mobile health information-seeking behaviour in people with cancer.
    Ruolin Zhang, Shuaini Li, Meirong Hong, Yao Zhou, Ying Lin, Yating Gao, Wenyi Hu, Xiaosha Ni, Wanying Wu, Yan Lou.
       AIM: The aim of the study was to develop and psychologically test the mobile health information-seeking behaviour (MHISB) questionnaire in people with cancer.
    DESIGN: Instrument development.
    METHODS: The study was conducted in three phases in a southeastern city of China from May 2017 to April 2018. In phase one, an item pool was constructed based on a literature review and semistructured interviews. In phase two, expert evaluation and cognitive interviews were used to evaluate the content validity of the questionnaire. In phase three, a cross-sectional study was conducted with people with cancer. Cronbach's α was calculated for reliability analysis. Validity evaluation included content validity and construct validity.
    RESULTS: The developed MHISB questionnaire has four dimensions (information-seeking frequency, information-seeking self-efficacy, health information evaluation and information-seeking willingness) and 25 items. Psychometric findings were satisfactory and supported the questionnaire's reliability.
    CONCLUSIONS: The construction process of the MHISB questionnaire was scientific and feasible. The MHISB questionnaire had acceptable validity and reliability, and it requires further improvement in future studies.
    Keywords:  cancer; information-seeking behaviour; instrument development; mobile health; psychometric assessment
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1002/nop2.1700
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