A systematic search and technical review of online information pertaining to medical care for people with disability. Issue 2 (April 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Goss, Katherine D.; Ioerger, Michael; Young, Virginia; Flanders, Reed M.; Turk, Margaret A.
• Is Part Of: Disability and health journal. Volume 13:Issue 2(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-04
• Subjects: Disability -- Online information -- Medical information -- Technical quality; People with disabilities -- Health and hygiene -- Periodicals; Health education -- Periodicals; Disabled Persons -- Periodicals; Health Education -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; 362.4
• DOI: 10.1016/j.dhjo.2019.100877
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1936-6574

Abstract

Abstract: Background: Little is known about the availability and technical quality of online information related to the medical care of people with disability, despite the potential of this information to alter clinical interactions and treatment decisions. Objectives: This review examines the utility of internet search engines for finding information related to medical care for people with disability, identifies common sources of this online information, and assesses the presence of technical attributes which allow for its critical evaluation. Methods: Exhaustive systematic searches were conducted on two popular search engines (Google and Yahoo) using six search phrases. Resources were coded to categorize presenting organization, format, and technical quality. Results: Only 8.9% of results included information related to medical care for people with disability. Analyzed resources were most often from non-profit organizations (31.7%) in website format (60.2%). The composite technical quality score for all included resources had a median and mode of three on a scale of six. Conclusions: Online information related to medical care for people with disability is not only difficult to locate, but has generally low technical quality. These findings have implications for health information professionals, patients, care providers, and information developers.