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BMC Urology
Published in: BMC Urology 1/2019

Open Access 01-12-2019 | Prostate Cancer | Research article

Radiotherapy for prostate cancer: DISCERN quality assessment of patient-oriented websites in 2018

Authors: S. Janssen, F. B. Fahlbusch, L. Käsmann, D. Rades, D. Vordermark

Published in: BMC Urology | Issue 1/2019

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Abstract

Background

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men. Radiotherapy represents one major treatment option in different therapeutic settings. As patients increasingly rely on internet-based medical information, we examined the quality of information on radiotherapy and prostate cancer in websites used by laypersons.

Methods

An Internet search from a patients` perspective was carried out using different search engines (Google, Yahoo and Bing, search terms: “prostate cancer” and “radiotherapy”). The quality of search results was analyzed with regard to the DISCERN score, HON code certification, the JAMA criteria and the ALEXA traffic rank.

Results

In general, websites were of good quality. The highest quality was found for websites operated by charity organizations. No significant differences in results obtained via the above-mentioned tools were seen for the examined search engines, but Google revealed the most stable search results in terms of temporal changes.

Conclusion

Patients with prostate cancer can sufficiently inform themselves on general treatment options including radiotherapy on websites directed at laypersons. However, no simple strategy could identify high quality websites in general. For treating physicians, it is important to support patients in interpreting and ranking the vast quantity of information.
Appendix
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Metadata
Title
Radiotherapy for prostate cancer: DISCERN quality assessment of patient-oriented websites in 2018
Authors
S. Janssen
F. B. Fahlbusch
L. Käsmann
D. Rades
D. Vordermark
Publication date
01-12-2019
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Urology / Issue 1/2019
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2490
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12894-019-0474-4

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