Table 1 Website analysis according to the WHO’s “Good Information Practice Essential Criteria for Vaccine Safety Web Sites”
Website analysis criteria | Pro/neutralWebsites % (N=79) | Adverse Websites % (N=10) | p |
|---|---|---|---|
GENERAL INFORMATION | |||
Website type | |||
-Association/scientific society | 8.9 | 10 | - |
-Pharmaceutical company | 5.1 | 0 | - |
-Hospital/clinic/health facility | 16.5 | 0 | - |
-Dictionary/encyclopaedia | 2.5 | 0 | - |
-Online pharmacy | 1.3 | 0 | - |
-Government website | 32.9 | 0 | - |
-Academic website | 6.3 | 0 | - |
-Other | 26.6 | 90 | - |
CREDIBILITY | |||
Mission of website | |||
Website mission declared | 96.2 | 70 | 0.0018 |
Public to whom information is addressed declared | 96.2 | 70 | 0.0018 |
Content adheres to website mission (if mission is expressed, P= 76; A=7)* | 100 | 85.7 | 0.0009 |
Disclosure of ownership/source | |||
Owner’s name (person or organisation) declared | 96.2 | 80 | 0.036 |
Owner’s address declared | 83.5 | 60 | ns |
Owner’s credentials/status declared | 93.7 | 70 | 0.0137 |
If owner is an organisation, what type of organisation (if credentials are declared, P=74; A=7)* | |||
• Business organisation | 35.1 | 0 | - |
• Governmental organisation | 33.8 | 0 | - |
• Non-profit organisation | 13.5 | 42.9 | - |
• Other | 17.6 | 57.1 | - |
Presence of affiliations, partnerships, alliances | 31.7 | 10 | ns |
Type of affiliation/ partner/ alliance (if present, P=25; A=1 )* | |||
• Government organisation | 40 | 0 | - |
• Public health agency | 32 | 0 | - |
• Associations/groups | 20 | 0 | - |
• Clinic/hospital | 24 | 0 | - |
• Medical/health information websites | 36 | 0 | - |
• Other | 56 | 100 | - |
List of members of Editorial Board, Advisory Board, Board of Directors (at least one) and their credentials | 63.3 | 50 | ns |
Transparency of sponsorship | |||
Sources of funding declared | 70.9 | 40 | 0.0496 |
Presence of advertising | 30.4 | 20 | ns |
Declaration/description of advertising policy (if advertising present, P=24; A=2 )* | 83.3 | 50 | ns |
Contents aimed at promotion and online selling (products/services) | 41.8 | 60 | ns |
Contents aimed at promotion/online selling clearly visible (if present, P= 33; A=6)* | 97 | 83.3 | ns |
Absence of conflict of interests is declared | 16.5 | 0 | ns |
Who declares absence of conflict of interests (if declared, P=13 )* | |||
- Sponsor/Donor | 61.5 | 0 | - |
- Partner/Affiliated | 7.7 | 0 | - |
- Author/Responsible | 69.2 | 0 | - |
Accountability to users | |||
Owner can be contacted by telephone/e-mail/electronic form/fax (at least one) | 97.5 | 90 | ns |
Contacts are accessible on the homepage and also on the other Web pages (if owner can be contacted, P=77; A=9)* | 96.1 | 55.6 | 0.0000 |
Interactive communication is possible (e.g. chat room, forum, community, etc.) | 36.7 | 30 | ns |
Information about moderator on the page dedicated to interaction (if interactive communication is possible, P=29; A=3)* | 17.2 | 66.7 | 0.0487 |
Possible inaccuracy of information published in the posts is declared (if interactive communication is possible, P=29; A=3)* | 27.6 | 33.3 | ns |
Data protection | |||
User is informed about possible use of his personal data | 88.6 | 20 | 0.0000 |
Presence of privacy statement or confidentiality policy page | 91.1 | 40 | 0.0000 |
Data firewall from non-authorized accesses | 68.4 | 20 | 0.0029 |
Responsible partnering | |||
Notification when leaving the website | 7.6 | 0 | ns |
ACCESSIBILITY | |||
Ease of access to the website | 100 | 100 | ns |
it’s possible to download programs to open files (audio, video, pdf) | 40.5 | 10 | 0.0599 |
Presence of internal search engine | 86.1 | 70 | ns |
Return to previous websites is possible | 98.7 | 100 | ns |
Absence of “broken links” | 86.1 | 90 | ns |
Presence of “reserved areas” | 41.8 | 20 | ns |
Presence of copyrighted information | 87.3 | 50 | 0.003 |
Information about legal use/distribution of copyrighted material (if present, P= 69; A=5)* | 76.8 | 80 | ns |
Website availability in different languages | 44.3 | 10 | 0.0373 |
It’s possible to change fount | 31.7 | 10 | ns |
DESIGN | |||
Logical/ordered access to information | 100 | 90 | 0.0047 |
Ease of Web surfing: at least two of site map/index/help function/FAQ page/internal search engine | 79.8 | 40 | 0.006 |
Consistent design (layout, font, logos, icons, etc. | 93.7 | 60 | 0.0009 |
Professional appearance/pleasing aesthetics | 94.9 | 50 | 0.0000 |
CONTENT | |||
Authority of sources | |||
Author is declared for each content | 27.9 | 70 | 0.0074 |
People in charge team for website in general is declared | 50.6 | 10 | 0.0152 |
Authors’ credentials are declared | 57 | 80 | ns |
What kind of credentials (if they’re declared, P= 45; A=8)* | |||
• Medical | 95.6 | 62.5 | 0.0032 |
• Other | 28.9 | 50 | ns |
Presence of quality marks/awards/certifications | 41.8 | 10 | 0.0514 |
Accuracy | |||
It’s possible to contact author/person in charge for website content | 12.7 | 40 | 0.0253 |
Currency | |||
Date of Web page content compilation is declared | 22.8 | 10 | ns |
Date of last Web page updating is declared | 55.7 | 0 | 0.0009 |
Date of last website updating is declared | 8.9 | 0 | ns |