Sayeed Nasser|Judy Mullan|Beata Bajorek
Assessing the quality, suitability and readability of internet-based health information about warfarin for patients.
University of Sydney|University of Wollongong|University of Wollongong
warfarin highrisk medication patient information may critical help ensure safe effective treatment considering time constraints healthcare providers internet important supplementary information resource patients prescribed warfarin usefulness internetbased patient information often limited challenges associated finding valid reliable health information given patients increasing access internet information study investigated quality suitability readability patient information warfarin presented internetpreviously validated tools used evaluate quality suitability readability patient information warfarin selected websitesthe initial search yielded 200 websites 11 fit selection criteria comprising seven noncommercial four commercial websites regarding quality noncommercial sites six seven scored least adequate score regard suitability 6 11 websites including two four commercial sites attained adequate score determined information 7 11 sites including two commercial sites written reading grade levels beyond considered representative adult patient population poor literacy skills eg school grade 8 lessdespite overall adequate quality suitability internet derived patient information warfarin actual usability websites may limited due poor readability grades particularly patients low literacy skills