Evaluating the most popular diabetes websites in the USA: a content analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 1394-1405
Author(s):  
Bree E Holtz
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Online Information ◽  
Essential Information ◽  
Wide Variability ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Multiple Query ◽  
Website Content

Abstract Over 1.5 million Americans are diagnosed with diabetes every year, and the majority of them go online to learn about their condition. Unfortunately, the online diabetes landscape is crowded, and the quality of website content is unknown—guidance for patients and healthcare providers regarding online diabetes information is needed. To address this, nine of the top diabetes websites in the USA were identified through a comprehensive, multiple-query search and a content analysis was conducted. Two coders, with high inter-coder reliability, evaluated these websites on six factors: (i) Design; (ii) Credibility; (iii) Accessibility; (iv) Literacy; (v) Engagement; and (vi) Diabetes Content. The analysis revealed that the websites presented most of the assessed design features. Few of the sites scored well on the credibility assessment, while the majority of sites did not note an author, editor or reviewer. With regard to accessibility, less than half of the items we assessed were met. Furthermore, the websites possessed wide variability in literacy, with an average readability grade level of 8.8. Most of the websites fared well in engagement, demonstrating multiple avenues to interact with the organization. All of the websites provided basic information regarding diabetes, but many did not include information for caregivers, providers or insurance information. In conclusion, patients and their family members will continue to seek online information about diabetes, its effects and treatment options. Therefore, this multiple-metric evaluation provides essential information for these individuals, and healthcare providers, who can now give better informed website recommendations to their patients and families.

scholarly journals Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer: From Diagnosis to Survivorship

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. E. Mohamed ◽  
M. A. Diefenbach ◽  
H. H. Goltz ◽  
C. T. Lee ◽  
D. Latini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Bladder Cancer ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Invasive Bladder Cancer ◽  
Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Muscle Invasive ◽  
The Impact

Bladder cancer is the fifth most commonly diagnosed cancer and the most expensive adult cancer in average healthcare costs incurred per patient in the USA. However, little is known about factors influencing patients' treatment decisions, quality of life, and responses to treatment impairments. The main focus of this paper is to better understand the impact of muscle invasive bladder cancer on patient quality of life and its added implications for primary caregivers and healthcare providers. In this paper, we discuss treatment options, side effects, and challenges that patients and family caregivers face in different phases along the disease trajectory and further identify crucial areas of needed research.

Caring experiences of family caregivers of patients with heart failure: A meta-ethnographic review of the past 10 years

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (6) ◽  
pp. 473-485 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eun Young Kim ◽  
Seieun Oh ◽  
Youn-Jung Son
Keyword(s):  
Heart Failure ◽  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Qualitative Studies ◽  
Bibliographic Databases ◽  
Eligibility Criteria ◽  
Essential Information ◽  
Patients With Heart Failure ◽  
Caregiving Roles

Background: Living with heart failure, a debilitating disease with an unpredictable course, requires ongoing adaptation and management not only from patients but also from their families. Family caregivers have been known to be key facilitators of self-management of heart failure. An integrative understanding of the experiences of family caregivers will provide essential information for improving the quality of life of persons with heart failure and their families. Aims: This study aimed to integrate and synthesize the findings of qualitative studies on family members’ experiences of caring for patients with heart failure. Methods: We employed the meta-ethnography methodology. Five electronic bibliographic databases were used to retrieve studies published from April 2009–March 2019 that explored family caregivers’ experiences of caring for patients with heart failure. Twelve qualitative studies were finally included for the synthesis, based on the eligibility criteria. Results: Three themes were identified: “shouldering the entire burden,” “starting a new life,” and “balancing caregiving and everyday life.” These three themes illustrate how family caregivers fulfilled caregiving roles, what helped them juggle their multiple responsibilities, and how they struck a balance between life as caregivers and individuals in their own right. Conclusion: This review provides a deeper understanding of family caregivers’ experiences of caring for patients with heart failure. The findings can help healthcare providers in the development and implementation of tailored interventions for both patients and family caregivers.

scholarly journals Why the book “More than Medicine: the Broken Promise of American Health” is important to the future of behavioral medicine, health psychology, and public health

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dawn K Wilson
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Behavioral Interventions ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Cost Utility ◽  
National Institutes Of Health ◽  
Independent Evaluation ◽  
Environmental Determinants Of Health ◽  
The Usa ◽  
The Cost

Abstract In his book, “More than Medicine: The Broken Promise of American Health,” Robert Kaplan brings together extensive data to make the case that healthcare priorities in the USA need to place greater emphasis on behavioral, social and environmental determinants of health. Kaplan argues that the effect sizes for health outcomes resulting from environmental exposures, stress, and socioeconomic status are all much larger than are many traditional biological risk factors. There are discrepancies between estimates of how much the National Institutes of Health spends on behavioral and social sciences research, but an independent evaluation suggests it is <5% of the entire budget. Addressing this neglect requires advocacy and bringing together of like-minded organizations to promote more funding for behavioral interventions, health promotion and public health policies to address important contextual factors such as poverty, lack of education, and poor environmental conditions. Importantly, Kaplan argues that several metrics to integrate life expectancy and quality of life have been proposed and allow healthcare providers to prioritize the value of health over the volume of healthcare delivered. Although standards exist, there are still a limited number of studies on the cost-effectiveness and cost-utility of behavioral and public health interventions.

Reevaluating onsite wastewater systems: expert recommendations and municipal decision-making

Water Policy ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 17 (6) ◽  
pp. 1062-1078 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sridhar Vedachalam ◽  
Veeravenkata S. Vanka ◽  
Susan J. Riha
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Essential Information ◽  
Onsite Wastewater ◽  
Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems ◽  
Consulting Firms ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Wastewater Systems

Onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTS) serve 20–25% of the households in the USA, and large parts of rural Canada, Australia, and Europe. Urbanization and newer environmental standards are leading many communities that currently rely on OWTS to think of alternatives. We study this decision-making in 19 municipalities across the USA through the unique lens of feasibility reports commissioned by the respective municipalities and authored by engineering/design consulting firms. The reports omitted certain essential information relevant to the decision-making process, and were not of high quality due to a lack of specificity on various parameters. However, the reports evaluated a balanced mix of decentralized and centralized treatment options, and the final recommendations were not biased in any particular direction. Most municipalities failed to take any follow-up action on the report recommendations, calling into question the motive behind commissioning these reports. Although not representative of the entire USA, the small sample of feasibility reports evaluated here is indicative in nature and provided significant insights about the inputs that help municipalities make decisions on complex issues.

scholarly journals Management of Vaginal Atrophy: Implications from the REVIVE Survey

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. CMRH.S14498 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Wysocki ◽  
Sheryl Kingsberg ◽  
Michael Krychman
Keyword(s):  
Unmet Needs ◽  
Medical Condition ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Treatment Preferences ◽  
Vaginal Atrophy ◽  
Vaginal Symptoms ◽  
Poor Understanding ◽  
Women’S Views

Vulvar and vaginal atrophy (VVA) is a chronic and progressive medical condition common in postmenopausal women. Symptoms of VVA such as dyspareunia, vaginal dryness, irritation, and itching can negatively impact sexual function and quality of life. The REVIVE (REal Women's Views of Treatment Options for Menopausal Vaginal ChangEs) survey assessed knowledge about VVA and recorded attitudes about interactions with healthcare providers (HCPs) and available treatment options for VVA. The REVIVE survey identified unmet needs of women with VVA symptoms such as poor understanding of the condition, poor communication with HCPs despite the presence of vaginal symptoms, and concerns about the safety, convenience, and efficacy of available VVA treatments. HCPs can address these unmet needs by proactively identifying patients with VVA and educating them about the condition as well as discussing treatment preferences and available therapies for VVA.

scholarly journals Explaining Factors Affecting Help-Seeking Behaviors in Women with Urinary Incontinence: A Qualitative Study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fahimeh Rashidi Fakari ◽  
Sepideh Hajian ◽  
Soodabeh Darvish ◽  
Hamid Alavi Majd
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Urinary Incontinence ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Analysis Approach ◽  
Help Seeking Behaviors ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Important Others

Abstract Background: Urinary incontinence is widely accepted to be among the most important issues in the global health system. However, only a limited number of women refer for treatment as different factors make help-seeking behaviors more complicated than they initially seem to be. The aim of this study was to explain the factors affecting help-seeking behaviors in women suffering from urinary incontinence.Methods: The present study used a qualitative method, the conventional content analysis approach. The study was conducted between December 2018 and August 2019 in Tehran, Iran. The participants of the study included 34 women with urinary incontinence selected using purposive sampling method. The content analysis approach was based on the Graneheim and Lundman method, and qualitative data management software was used to analyze data. Results: Data analysis illustrates two themes; "nature of facilitator " and " nature of inhibitor "; the categories "not perceiving disease", "shame", " negative support of important others", and "non-optimal health care system" were among the deterrents and the categories "weakening the quality of life" and " positive support of important others" were found to be facilitators.Conclusions: The findings of the present study highlight the need for understanding the underlying facilitators and obstacles to help-seeking behaviors in women with urinary incontinence and suggest that healthcare providers consider an open dialogue with patients taking into account their subjective beliefs and life context during routine visits as to facilitate early diagnosis of the disease and ultimately lead to an improvement in the woman's quality of life.

Implementation of a new patient health questionnaire into standard practice in outpatient cancer clinics to improve patient care and quality of treatment.

2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (7_suppl) ◽  
pp. 214-214
Author(s):  
Kathryn Estey ◽  
Catherine Brown ◽  
Andrea Perez-Cosio ◽  
Gursharan Gill ◽  
Mindy Liang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factor ◽  
Patient Care ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Improve Patient Care ◽  
Electronic Version ◽  
Clinic Visit ◽  
Additional Information ◽  
Risk Factor Information

214 Background: Patient socio-demographic, lifestyle, and risk factor information at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre (PM) is routinely collected for clinical purposes. The only standardized patient information presently being gathered in the outpatient cancer clinics at the PM is symptom management data, which is linked directly into the electronic medical records. Collecting and recording additional data can improve the quality of patient care, help identify risk factors, and guide treatment options. Our aim was to determine the feasibility of collecting this additional information in a clinical setting. Methods: This pilot cohort study was implemented in the thoracic outpatient oncology clinic at the PM. It involved developing a questionnaire utilizing literature sources, expert review, and pilot testing. Adult cancer patients completed the questionnaire and a complementary acceptability survey during their first clinic visit. Results: 170 patients with thoracic tumours, primarily lung cancer, took part in the feasibility study. Of these, 51% were female, 67% were Caucasian, and the median age was 65 (range 32 to 88) years old. The acceptability survey demonstrated that: 76% of respondents found that the questionnaire did not make their clinic visit more difficult, 68% found that it asked the right questions, 79% thought the questionnaire contained pertinent information for their doctor and other healthcare providers to know, and 51% found that it was time consuming to complete. Conclusions: This study determined that it is feasible to implement a standardized questionnaire that gathers patient socio-demographic, lifestyle, and risk factor information in routine clinical cancer care. Since half of the study population found the questionnaire time consuming to complete it should be administered prior to patient visits, in an electronic format, and with greater explanation/education. The next phase is converting the questionnaire into an electronic version, which aligns with the preferences of study participants and will allow the information to be more easily accessible by clinicians/researchers.

Assessing overall patient satisfaction among cancer patients: A radiotherapy survey.

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e19249-e19249
Author(s):  
JoAnne Meng ◽  
Elisabeth Cisa-Pare ◽  
Katelyn Balchin ◽  
Julie Renaud ◽  
Linda Bunch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Patient Satisfaction ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Community Resources ◽  
Emotional Needs ◽  
Lung Cancers ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Radiation Medicine

e19249 Background: Healthcare providers (HCPs) strive to maximize the experience for cancer patients. Published reports suggest a variety of characteristics that are considered important. We decided to survey our patients undergoing radiotherapy to determine what they considered desirable traits and characteristics. Methods: An ethics approved 35-item patient satisfaction survey evaluating respondent experience was developed by an interdisciplinary team of HCPs working in the radiation medicine program. It was an anonymous, voluntary, paper-based survey for self-completion. It evaluated a variety of domains with respect to the quality of care patients received, and was administered to patients undergoing radiotherapy. Results: A total of 199 patients completed the survey. The median age was 68, with approximately 54% women and 45% men (1% unreported). Most patients (85%) had been diagnosed with their cancer within the previous year, and the commonly reported malignancies (61%) were breast, prostate and lung cancers. Almost all (95%) “agreed" or "strongly agreed" about the importance of physicians being sensitive and compassionate. Over 90% felt they received adequate explanations about their treatment, and had their questions answered. The vast majority (93%) felt included in the decision-making process. They reported the 5 most important qualities among the HCPs as follows (in descending order): knowledge, kindness, honesty (answering questions/giving information), good communicator and cheerful attitude. Most (>70%) reported feeling connected with their HCPs. Although overall satisfaction was high, there were areas for improvement identified. These included patients being offered future appointments to discuss their diagnosis and treatment, receiving information about clinical trials and other treatment options, and being given contact information for psychosocial and community resources. Also, HCPs tended to focus mainly on the physical needs of patients and to a lesser degree on their emotional needs, but spiritual and cultural needs were not routinely addressed (<10%). Conclusions: Reassuringly, cancer patients receiving radiation report high rates of satisfaction across many aspects of their care. The qualities most appreciated serve as a reminder to clinicians that their role is more than just that of a medical expert. These findings also reinforce the different aspects of holistic care that can be improved.

scholarly journals The Standards of Reporting of Neurological Disorders (STROND) checklist: Application to multiple sclerosis

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-33
Author(s):  
Kirsten M Fiest ◽  
Ruth Ann Marrie ◽  
Nathalie Jette ◽  
Derrick A Bennett
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Neurological Disorders ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Quality Of Reporting ◽  
Essential Information ◽  
Prevalence Studies ◽  
Quality Reporting ◽  
Item Checklist

Background: Descriptive epidemiological studies documenting the incidence and prevalence of multiple sclerosis (MS) and studies that report morbidity, mortality, and economic burden provide essential information for patients, healthcare providers, and policymakers. However, the quality of reporting of observational studies is often poor, limiting the ability to evaluate the validity of the findings. The Standards of Reporting of Neurological Disorders (STROND) reporting guideline comprises recommendations and a 15-item checklist of reporting items to aid high-quality reporting of incidence and prevalence studies of neurological disorders. Methods: We explain the basic reporting items of the STROND checklist for the methods, results, and discussion sections in the context of the MS literature and searched for examples of good reporting of those items. Results: We identified examples of good reporting of the basic reporting items from previous systematic reviews of the descriptive epidemiologic literature in MS. Conclusion: The adoption of the STROND reporting guidelines should improve the quality of reporting of descriptive epidemiological studies in MS. Along with efforts to improve methodological aspects of epidemiological studies and harmonization of data collection efforts, improved reporting could contribute to furthering our understanding of the epidemiology of MS.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document