Does the Internet Provide Enough Information About Sepsis for the General Public

Purpose: To determine the quality and reliability of the information about sepsis on the internet. Material methods: The quality and reliability of the information on the websites accessed through the most frequently searched words about sepsis were evaluated with the JAMA Benchmark Criteria and the DISCERN scoring system. Data accuracy was compared with the Surviving Sepsis Campaign guidelines. Results: The search terms used resulted most frequently (36,5%) in information from private hospitals. Only 4 of the 63 sites related to sepsis search terms met all 4 JAMA criteria. The JAMA Benchmark score was found to be median 21.18 (min:0- max:4). Of the sites, 74,6% showed an update date. Only 31.7% of the sites examined had expert or author information. The mean DISCERN score was calculated as 368.51 (min 16-max 59). According to these results, the quality and reliability of internet-sourced information on sepsis was poor. Discussion: The provision of health information on the internet, mostly by private hospitals, may lead to ethical problems. Missing or erroneous information may delay medical treatment, whereas good quality medical information can be effective in reducing unnecessary medical expenses and hospital admissions. Conclusion: The quality and reliability of information about sepsis and related search terms on the Internet were low. It was concluded that public instutions and academic institutions should play a more active role in providing patients with accurate information.