To evaluate the quality and accuracy of websites written to the public on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) (Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis) and assess their readability level.METHODSGoogle™, Bing™, and Yahoo™...To evaluate the quality and accuracy of websites written to the public on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) (Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis) and assess their readability level.METHODSGoogle™, Bing™, and Yahoo™ search engines were searched independently by three researchers in December 2014. Only English-language websites were selected on the basis of predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Researchers independently evaluated the quality of each website by using the DISCERN and the HONcode instruments. The readability levels were calculated using two formulas; the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level Index, and the Coleman-Liau Readability Index. The agreement between the evaluators was calculated using Cohen kappa coefficient.RESULTSEighty-four websites were finally identified. Scores varied from a minimum DISCERN score of 18 to a maximum of 68 [mean ± SD, 42.2 ± 10.7; median = 41.5, interquartile range, interquartile range (IQR) = 15.8] and a minimum score of HONcode of 0.14 and a maximum of 0.95 (mean ± SD, 0.16 ± 0.19; median = 0.45, IQR = 0.29). Most of these websites were reviewed in 2014 and 2015 (n = 51). The creators of these websites were: universities and research centers (n = 25, 30%), foundations and associations (n = 15, 18%), commercial and pharmaceutical companies (n = 25, 30%), charities and volunteer work (n = 9, 10%), and non-university educational bodies (n = 10, 12%). The Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level readability score (mean ± SD) was 11.9 ± 2.4 and the Coleman-Liau Readability Index score was 12.6 ± 1.5. Significant correlation was found between the two readability scores (R<sup>2</sup> = 0.509, P = 0.001). The overall agreement between evaluators measured by Cohen kappa coefficient was in the range of 0.804-0.876; rated as 'Good'.CONCLUSIONThe DISCERN and the HONcode scores of websites varied and the readability levels of most websites were above the public readability level. The study highlights the areas that need further improvement and development in patient education online materials about IBD.展开更多
Network and equation-based （EB） models are two prominent methods used in the study of epidemics. While EB models use a global approach to model aggregate population, net- work models focus on the behavior of individ...Network and equation-based （EB） models are two prominent methods used in the study of epidemics. While EB models use a global approach to model aggregate population, net- work models focus on the behavior of individuals in the population. The two approaches have been used in several areas of research, including finance, computer science, social science and epidemiology. In this study, epidemiology is used to contrast EB models with network models. The methods are based on the assumptions and properties of compartmental models. In EB models we solve a system of ordinary differential equations and in network models we simulate the spread of epidemics on contact networks using bond percolation. We examine the impact of network structures on the spread of infection by considering various networks, including Poisson, Erd3s R6nyi, Scale-free, and Watts- Strogatz small-world networks, and discuss how control measures can make use of the network structures. In addition, we simulate EB assumptions on Watts-Strogatz net- works to determine when the results are similar to that of EB models. As a case study, we use data from the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic and that from measles outbreak to validate our results.展开更多
基金Supportedby the College of Medicine Research Center,Deanship of Scientific Research,King Saud University,Riyadh,Saudi Arabia
文摘To evaluate the quality and accuracy of websites written to the public on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) (Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis) and assess their readability level.METHODSGoogle™, Bing™, and Yahoo™ search engines were searched independently by three researchers in December 2014. Only English-language websites were selected on the basis of predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Researchers independently evaluated the quality of each website by using the DISCERN and the HONcode instruments. The readability levels were calculated using two formulas; the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level Index, and the Coleman-Liau Readability Index. The agreement between the evaluators was calculated using Cohen kappa coefficient.RESULTSEighty-four websites were finally identified. Scores varied from a minimum DISCERN score of 18 to a maximum of 68 [mean ± SD, 42.2 ± 10.7; median = 41.5, interquartile range, interquartile range (IQR) = 15.8] and a minimum score of HONcode of 0.14 and a maximum of 0.95 (mean ± SD, 0.16 ± 0.19; median = 0.45, IQR = 0.29). Most of these websites were reviewed in 2014 and 2015 (n = 51). The creators of these websites were: universities and research centers (n = 25, 30%), foundations and associations (n = 15, 18%), commercial and pharmaceutical companies (n = 25, 30%), charities and volunteer work (n = 9, 10%), and non-university educational bodies (n = 10, 12%). The Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level readability score (mean ± SD) was 11.9 ± 2.4 and the Coleman-Liau Readability Index score was 12.6 ± 1.5. Significant correlation was found between the two readability scores (R<sup>2</sup> = 0.509, P = 0.001). The overall agreement between evaluators measured by Cohen kappa coefficient was in the range of 0.804-0.876; rated as 'Good'.CONCLUSIONThe DISCERN and the HONcode scores of websites varied and the readability levels of most websites were above the public readability level. The study highlights the areas that need further improvement and development in patient education online materials about IBD.
文摘Network and equation-based （EB） models are two prominent methods used in the study of epidemics. While EB models use a global approach to model aggregate population, net- work models focus on the behavior of individuals in the population. The two approaches have been used in several areas of research, including finance, computer science, social science and epidemiology. In this study, epidemiology is used to contrast EB models with network models. The methods are based on the assumptions and properties of compartmental models. In EB models we solve a system of ordinary differential equations and in network models we simulate the spread of epidemics on contact networks using bond percolation. We examine the impact of network structures on the spread of infection by considering various networks, including Poisson, Erd3s R6nyi, Scale-free, and Watts- Strogatz small-world networks, and discuss how control measures can make use of the network structures. In addition, we simulate EB assumptions on Watts-Strogatz net- works to determine when the results are similar to that of EB models. As a case study, we use data from the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic and that from measles outbreak to validate our results.
