Accuracy and self correction of information received from an internet breast cancer list: analysis of posting content

doi:10.1136/bmj.38753.524201.7C

BMJ, doi: 10.1136/bmj.38753.524201.7C, (Published 2 March 2006)

RESEARCH

Accuracy and self correction of information received from an internet breast cancer list: analysis of posting content

Adol Esquivel ¹, Funda Meric-Bernstam ², Elmer V Bernstam ¹^*

¹ School of Health Information Sciences, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 7000 Fannin Street, Houston, TX 77030, USA
² Department of Surgical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX

^* Correspondence to: elmer.v.bernstam{at}uth.tmc.edu.

Objectives To determine the prevalence of false or misleadingstatements in messages posted by internet cancer support groupsand whether these statements were identified as false or misleadingand corrected by other participants in subsequent postings.

DesignAnalysis of content of postings.

Setting Internet cancer supportgroup Breast Cancer Mailing List.

Main outcome measures Numberof false or misleading statements posted from 1 January to 23April 2005 and whether these were identified and corrected byparticipants in subsequent postings.

Results 10 of 4600 postings(0.22%) were found to be false or misleading. Of these, sevenwere identified as false or misleading by other participantsand corrected within an average of four hours and 33 minutes(maximum, nine hours and nine minutes).

Conclusions Most postedinformation on breast cancer was accurate. Most false or misleadingstatements were rapidly corrected by participants in subsequentpostings.

(Accepted 27 January 2006)

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