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. 2009 Jul;41(7):360-6.
doi: 10.1016/j.aprim.2008.10.009. Epub 2009 May 22.

[Assessment of websites with information on medicines]

[Article in Spanish]
Jaime Jiménez Pernett  1 , Jose Francisco García Gutiérrez, Clara Bermúdez Tamayo, Martha Milena Silva Castro, Laura Tuneu i Valls
Affiliations

[Assessment of websites with information on medicines]

[Article in Spanish]
Jaime Jiménez Pernett et al. Aten Primaria. 2009 Jul.

Abstract
in English, Spanish

Aims: To identify websites with information on medicines and assess, using experts, their adherence to codes of conduct and recommendations by the WHO.

Design: Cross-sectional study based on an ad hoc designed questionnaire (performed independently by 2 reviewers). The websites were identified by the Delphi technique (35 experts).

Setting: Websites with information on medicines.

Participants: A total of 35 websites selected by the Delphi technique. An acceptable level of stability was achieved in the third round (interquartile variability; <0.05).

Main measurements: Responsibility, transparency and honesty, authorship of the information, content review policy, privacy and data protection policies, updated information and accessibility. A descriptive analysis of compliance was carried out and the kappa coefficient was estimated to evaluate the agreement between assessors (Fleiss's Criteria).

Results: The National Prescribing Service Limited (NPS), PubMed, British Medical Journal, New England Journal of Medicine, Journal of American Medical Association, The Lancet, Fisterra and National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence stood out with an overall high fulfilment of the questionnaire. The updated information dimension was the lowest evaluation for the different websites.

Conclusions: The quality of the web sites evaluated varied widely. Although there are several websites, which are detailed in the article, with high overall scores.

Objetivo: Identificar sitios web con información sobre medicamentos a través de expertos y evaluar su adecuación a códigos de conducta y las recomendaciones de la Organización Mundial de la Salud.

Diseño: Estudio transversal de la adecuación a los criterios, a partir de un cuestionario diseñado ad hoc (efectuado independientemente por dos evaluadores). Los sitios web fueron identificados a partir de la técnica Delphi (35 expertos).

Emplazamiento: Sitios web con información sobre medicamentos.

Unidad de análisis: 35 sitios web seleccionados por la técnica Delphi. En la tercera ronda se alcanzó un nivel de estabilidad (variabilidad intercuartílica) aceptable (< 0,05).

Mediciones principales: Responsabilidad, transparencia y honestidad, autoría de la información, política editorial, protección de datos personales, actualización de la información y accesibilidad. Se realizó un análisis descriptivo del cumplimiento y se estimó el coeficiente kappa para valorar la concordancia entre evaluadores (criterios de Fleiss).

Resultados: Destacan con cumplimiento general alto el National Prescribing Service Limited (NPS), PubMed, British Medical Journal, New England Journal of Medicine, Journal of American Medical Association, The Lancet, Fisterra y National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. La dimensión de actualización de la información es la que presentó una menor valoración para los diferentes sitios web.

Conclusiones: La calidad de los sitios web sobre medicamentos recomendada por expertos es variable. Sin embargo, hay diversos sitios web de cumplimiento alto, que se detallan en el informe.

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