Dr Google

Abstract

IntroductionThe Internet currently stands out as an emerging information provider for the general public, in all subject areas including health. It continues to expand at a rapid rate, both in registered data volume and in web users.1 Increased Internet accessibility as well as the autonomy granted to the user in targeted searches have facilitated the use of the Internet tool and have opened up a new dimension in the chain of information transfer and medical advice. 2,3 Traditional sources of medical advice and health education, largely linked to the figure of the specialized physician, may be displaced and even challenged by this new communication agent, the boundaries of which are not set or controlled by the medical experts themselves. A survey conducted in seven European countries showed that the Internet follows doctors very closely as the second most important source of information for women in those countries, on topics related to the human papillomavirus (HPV) and its vaccine. 4 HPV vaccination has positive indications that have been widely demonstrated in target groups and supported by high quality tests, contained in each vaccine's specification sheet. [5][6][7][8][9][10] Most European countries actively recommend vaccination and include these vaccines in their systematic vaccination programs. 11,12 In Spain the Objectives:To assess and analyze the information and recommendations provided by Google Web search™ (Google) in relation to web searches on the HPV vaccine, indications for females and males and possible adverse effects.Results: In the comprehensive analysis of results, 72.2% of websites offer information favorable to HPV vaccination, with varying degrees of content detail, vs. 27.8% with highly dissuasive content in relation to HPV vaccination. The most frequent type of site is the blog or forum. The information found is frequently incomplete, poorly structured, and often lacking in updates, bibliography and adequate citations, as well as sound credibility criteria (scientific association accreditation and/or trust mark system).Materials and Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional study of the results of 14 web searches. comprehensive analysis of results based on general recommendation given (favorable/dissuasive), as well as compliance with pre-established criteria, namely design, content and credibility. sub-analysis of results according to site category: general information, blog/forum and press. Conclusions: Google, as a tool which users employ to locate medical information and advice, is not specialized in providing information that is necessarily rigorous or valid from a scientific perspective. search results and ranking based on Google's generalized algorithms can lead users to poorly grounded opinions and statements, which may impact HPV vaccination perception and subsequent decision making. Dr GoogleWhat about the human papillomavirus vaccine?Leticia Pías-Peleteiro, Keywords: human papillomavirus, HPV, HPV vaccination, Google, internet cohort for systematic vaccination includes girls bet...

A systematic literature review to examine the potential for social media to impact HPV vaccine uptake and awareness, knowledge, and attitudes about HPV and HPV vaccination

“…30,35 When a Google web search was conducted for information about the HPV vaccine, the most frequent type of site to appear was a blog or forum, which often lacked complete information and adequate scientific credibility. 49 An analysis of public posts as of September 2014 about the potential association between HPV vaccination and infertility on Facebook, Google+, and Twitter found that most of the posts referenced news sites and blogs at substantially higher rates than scientific journals or health professional references. 30 (In)accuracy of content Reliable and accurate information was therefore often mixed in with inaccurate, conspiratorial, unrepresentative, and/or incomplete information.…”

Can Digital Tools Be Used for Improving Immunization Programs?

“…Digital tools and new media can be exploited as means for accurately identifying information needs and effectively delivering vaccination campaigns. A number of studies have investigated the presence of vaccine information on the web, often starting from an analysis of Google search results obtained through the use of specific keywords ( 72 , 75 – 78 ). This approach can be useful for addressing information trends and gaps on available web pages.…”

Chatting with ChatGPT to learn about safety of COVID-19 vaccines – A perspective

“…This exercise is highly relevant because popular information sources, such as social media platforms (e.g., Twitter, Instagram) or internet search engines (e.g., Google Web Search TM ) often employ algorithms that cater to public preferences, potentially leading to biased or incorrect answers. 7 …”