Accepted for/Published in: Journal of Medical Internet Research
Date Submitted: Jan 12, 2023
Date Accepted: Apr 5, 2023
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Enhancing evidence-based Pharmacy: The quality of web-based information sources compared to the EVInews-database - A randomized controlled trial with German community pharmacists
ABSTRACT
Background:
Self-medication counseling in community pharmacies plays a crucial role in healthcare. Counseling advice should therefore be evidence-based. Web-based information and databases are commonly used as electronic information sources. The EVInews-database is a self-medication related information tool, consisting of a database and monthly published newsletters for pharmacists. Little is known about the quality of pharmacists’ electronic information sources for evidence-based self-medication counseling.
Objective:
Our aim was to investigate the quality of community pharmacists’ web-based search results for self-medication related content in comparison to the EVInews-database, based on an adjusted quality score for pharmacists.
Methods:
After the approval of the ethics protocol, we performed a quantitative online survey with a search-task as a prospective, randomized, controlled unblinded study. For the search-task, participants were instructed to search for evidence-based information to verify 6 health-related statements from 2 typical self-medication indications. Pharmacists across Germany were invited to participate by E-Mail. After written informed consent, they were automatically, randomly assigned to either use web-based information sources of their choice without the EVInews-database (Web-group) or exclusively the EVInews-database (EVInews-group). The quality of the information sources that were utilized for the search-task was then assessed by two evaluators using a quality score ranging from 100% (180 points, all predefined criteria fulfilled) to 0% (0 points, none of the predefined criteria fulfilled). In case of assessment discrepancies, an expert panel consisting of 4 pharmacists was consulted.
Results:
In total, 141 pharmacists were enrolled. In the Web-group (n=71 pharmacists), the quality score median was 32.8% (59.0 out of 180.0 points; IQR: 23.0–80.). In the EVInews-group (n=70 pharmacists) the quality score median was significantly higher (85.3%; 153.5 points out of 180.0 points; P<.001) and the interquartile range (IQR) was smaller (IQR: 125.1–157.0). Fewer pharmacists completed the entire search-task in the web-based-group (n=22) than in the EVInews-group (n=46). The median time to complete the search-task was not significantly different between the Web-group (25.4 min) and the EVInews-group (19.7 min; P=.12). The most frequently used web-based sources consisted of tertiary literature (29.1%, 74 of 254 sources).
Conclusions:
The median quality score of the Web-group was poor and there was a significant difference in quality scores in favor of the EVInews-group. Pharmacists' web-based and self-medication related information sources often did not meet standard quality requirements and therefore showed a considerable variation in quality. Clinical Trial: -
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