Quality Assessment of Online Resources for the Most Common Cancers.

The internet is a common source of health information for patients with cancer. Despite research surrounding the quality of online resources for individual types of cancer, these results may not necessarily be easily extrapolated to cancer resources as a whole. Thus, we aim to use a standardized tool to produce generalizable results by analyzing the quality of online resources for the most common cancers. Educational websites pertaining to breast, lung, prostate, and colorectal cancers were searched using multiple search engines. After screening against pre-specified inclusion criteria, the most visible 100 websites for each cancer were extracted for analysis. A validated tool was then used to assess their quality. Pooled results were evaluated using descriptive and inferential statistics. Of the 400 analyzed websites, 43% were commercially affiliated, and these were significantly associated with greater use of biased language. Thirty percent of websites disclosed authorship, 47% cited at least one reliable source, and 43% were updated within the last 2 years. The average Flesch-Kincaid readability was determined to be at a grade 10.9 level, which is significantly more difficult than the recommended grade 6 level. Risk factors, symptoms, and detection were the most accurately covered topics. However, most websites did not cover prognosis. This study comprehensively examines the quality of online cancer resources for the four most common cancers. Our results could help guide the development of future resources, support patient education endeavors, and raise awareness among healthcare providers about the limitations of online cancer resources.

Multidisciplinary Development of Mobile Radiography Guidelines Reduced the Number of Inappropriate Mobile Exams in Patients Receiving Chest Radiographs in British Columbia.

AIM: To decrease the number of mobile chest radiograph requests for inpatients in British Columbia who are medically able to tolerate transport to the main department by introducing and implementing request criteria. METHOD: Concerns regarding inappropriate mobile exam requests in patients receiving chest radiography were surveyed at 28 medical imaging sites. In response, a multidisciplinary team composed a set of mobile radiography request guidelines incorporating feedback from all sites. These were successfully implemented along with in-person education to 21 sites. The number of adult annual mobile chest radiographs was tracked from 2014 to 2018, and informal feedback was obtained from participating sites. RESULTS: The percentage of mobile chest radiographs of all chest radiographs performed between 2014 and 2018 decreased by 3.2%, while the total number of all chest radiographs performed during this time, including both departmental and mobile, increased by 1.9%. Sites reported positive engagement with the initiative and expressed need for ongoing education to optimize its effect. CONCLUSION: Implementation of request guidelines with in-person education helped to reduce inappropriate mobile exams in patients receiving chest radiographs in British Columbia between 2014 and 2018. These guidelines promote patient safety through reduced radiation exposure, empower radiographers to mitigate inappropriate requests, and help to optimize use of limited hospital resources by reducing inappropriate mobile exams where routine departmental exams are more suitable.

Acquisition time, radiation dose, subjective and objective image quality of dual-source CT scanners in acute pulmonary embolism: a comparative study.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the scan acquisition time, radiation dose, subjective and objective image quality of two dual-source CT scanners (DSCT) for detection of acute pulmonary embolism. METHODS: Two hundred twenty-one scans performed on the 2nd-generation DSCT and 354 scans on the 3rd-generation DSCT were included in this large retrospective study. In a randomized blinded design, two radiologists independently reviewed the scans using a 5-point Likert scale. Radiation dose and objective image quality parameters were calculated. RESULTS: Mean acquisition time was significantly lower in the 3rd-generation DSCT (2.81 s ± 0.1 in comparison with 9.7 s ± 0.15 [mean ± SD] respectively; p < 0.0001) with the 3rd generation 3.4 times faster. The mean subjective image quality score was 4.33/5 and 4/5 for the 3rd- and 2nd-generation DSCT respectively (p < 0.0001) with strong interobserver reliability agreement. DLP, CTDIvol, and ED were significantly lower in the 3rd than the 2nd generation (175.6 ± 63.7 mGy cm; 5.3 ± 1.9 mGy and 2.8 ± 1.2 mSv in comparison with 266 ± 255 mGy.cm; 7.8 ± 2.2 mGy and 3.8 ± 4.3 mSv). Noise was significantly lower in the 3rd generation (p < 0.01). Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), and figure of merit (FOM), a dose-insensitive index for CNR, were significantly higher in the 3rd-generation DSCT (33.5 ± 23.4; 29.0 ± 21.3 and 543.7 ± 1037 in comparison with 23.4 ± 17.7; 19.4 ± 16.0 and 170.5 ± 284.3). CONCLUSION: Objective and subjective image quality are significantly higher on the 3rd-generation DSCT with significantly lower mean acquisition time and radiation dose. KEY POINTS: • The 3rd-generation DSCT scanner provides an improved image quality, less perceived artifacts, and lower radiation dose in comparison with the 2nd-generation DSCT, when operating in dual-energy (DE) mode. • The 3.4-times-faster 3rd-generation DSCT scanner can be of particular value in patients with chronic lung diseases or breathing difficulties that prevent adequate breathhold.

Malignant websites? Analyzing the quality of prostate cancer education web resources.

INTRODUCTION: Prostate cancer patients are using more web resources to inform themselves about their cancer. However, patients may receive out-of-date or inaccurate information due to lack of regulation. The current study looks to systematically analyze the quality of websites accessed by patients with prostate cancer. METHODS: The term "prostate cancer" was searched in Google and the metasearch engines, Yippy and Dogpile, and the top 100 hits related to patient information were compiled from over 32 million hits. A standardized tool was used to examine 100 sites with respect to attribution, currency, usability, and content. RESULTS: Of the top 100 websites relating to prostate cancer information, only 27% identified an author, of which 16% had their credentials displayed. The majority of websites disclosed ownership (97%). Over half of the websites did not include the date of the last update and of those that did, only 66% were current within two years. According to the Flesch Kincaid grade level tool for readability, the majority (87%) of sites were found to be at a high school level, while 6% were at university level. Finally, content varied among websites; 90% of sites provided information on detection and workup and treatments, but only 14% of sites included information on prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: The reliability of websites presenting prostate cancer information is questionable. There were noted deficiencies in attribution, currency, and readability. While information on detection and treatment is well-covered, information related to prognosis is lacking.