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Quality of information in the internet for patients seeking bariatric surgery - Protocol

1. Identify keywords for bariatric surgery that patients may use to search for information in the internet

  • Bariatric surgery
  • Weight loss surgery
  • Gastric band
  • Lap banding
  • Laparoscopic banding
  • Laparoscopic gastric banding
  • Gastric bypass
  • Gastric sleeve
  • Sleeve gastrectomy

2. Determine the search engines according to user frequency:

  • Google
  • Bing
  • Yahoo
  • Ask.com
  • AOL

(http://www.ebizmba.com/articles/search-engines)

3. Eligibility criteria

  • Inclusion:      Websites intended to patients
  • Exclusion:     scientific papers intended to scholars

4. Data collection:

  • Submission ID (number)
  • Website URL (web address)
  • Keyword used (drop down menu with keywords listed above)
  • Search engine (drop down menu with search engines listed above)
  • Country of origin
  • Year first published
  • Source of information
    • Academic center
    • Encyclopedia
    • Health department
    • Hospital
    • Industry
    • News service
    • Patient group
    • Practitioner
    • Professional society
    • Other
  • If other source, indicate (free text)
  • If new synonym(s) of weight loss surgery used, indicate (free text)
  • Complications described (yes/no) (in hospital or 30 or 90 day)
    • Complication rate for lap band reported (number in %)
    • Complication rate for sleeve reported (number in %)
    • Complication rate for bypass reported (number in %)
  • Mortality described (yes/no) (in hospital or 30 or 90 day)
    • Mortality rate for lap band reported (number in %)
    • Mortality rate for sleeve reported (number in %)
    • Mortality rate for bypass reported (number in %)

Content data                       

  • Initial definition of which subjects will be covered                               
  • Coverage of the previously defined subjects (NA if the answer is “no” for item 1)
  • Description of the medical problem/treatment/procedure                              
  • Definition of the purpose of the surgical intervention                          
  • Description of treatment alternatives                              
  • Description of the sequence of the surgical procedure                                  
  • Description of the qualitative benefits for the patient                           
  • Description of the quantitative benefits to the patient                          
  • Description of the qualitative risks and side effects                             
  • Description of the quantitative risks and side effects
  • Addressing quality-of-life issues                         
  • Description of how complications are handled                        
  • Description of the precautions that the patient may take                                
  • Mention of alert signs that the patient may detect                                
  • Addressing medical intervention costs and insurance issues                                   
  • Specific contact details for hospital services (NA if not hospitals)                            
  • Specific details of other sources of reliable information/support                               
  • Coverage of all relevant issues for the topic (summary item for all content criteria)                                                         

Identification data                         

  • Date of issue or revision                           
  • Logo of the issuing body                           
  • Names of the persons or entities that produced the document                                 
  • Names of the persons or entities that financed the document                                   
  • Short bibliography of the evidence-based data used in the document                   
  • Statement about whether and how patients were involved/consulted in the document's production                            

Structure data

  • Use of everyday language and explanation of complex words or jargon               
  • Use of generic names for all medications or products (NA if no medications described)                        
  • Use of short sentences (<15 words on average)                                 
  • Personal address to the reader                           
  • Respectful tone                               
  • Clear information (no ambiguities or contradictions)                          
  • Balanced information on risks and benefits                              
  • Presentation of information in a logical order                           
  • Satisfactory design and layout (excluding figures or graphs; see next item)                      
  • Clear and relevant figures or graphs (NA if absent)                            
  • Inclusion of a named space for the reader's notes or questions                               
  • Inclusion of a printed consent form contrary to recommendations (NA if not from hospitals)                              

Comments

(Free text)

5. Methods

The first 100 results for each keyword used in each search engine will be included in the initial excel database. Then duplicates will be removed after sorting the database website URL alphabetically. Next each website will be assessed for eligibility (numbers of included and excluded websites will be documented). Then each website will be assessed at review-net.com according to the parameters above.

Investigators

  • Diana Vetter will lead the study and write the manuscript, contribute in the study design and interpretation of the results.
  • Hendrik Ruhwinkel (with or without help from a resident at USZ) will conduct the search, collect the data, assess the websites and submit the data from the eligible websites at review-net.com as well as search the literature for similar studies.
  • Dimitri Raptis will perform the statistical analysis, contribute in the study design and in revising the manuscript.
  • Marco Bueter will contribute in the study design, interpretation of the results, in revising the manuscript as well as sign the Master Arbeit (will confirm this soon)
  • Additional investigators may be included during the study conduction.