Cancer websites appraised
Background
Macmillan Cancer Relief commissioned the Centre for Health Information Quality (C‐H‐i‐Q) to appraise a selection of websites for inclusion in their third edition of A Directory of Information Materials for People with Cancer. The websites were assessed against specific quality criteria, in particular C‐H‐i‐Q's health information appraisal guidelines (http://www. chiq.org/guidelines.htm, last accessed 6 November 2001). The Centre is part of the Help for Health Trust, an independent organization dedicated to helping people to become active partners in their own health care by improving the provision of quality information. C‐H‐i‐Q believes health information should be evidence‐based, clearly communicated and involve members of the public at key stages of production.
Methodology
The health information format under review was web‐based. Ten websites were appraised in February 2002:
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Breast Cancer Care
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Cancerbacup
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CancerHelp UK
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Cancerlink
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Cancernet
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The Lymphoma Association
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National electronic Library for Cancers
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The Royal Marsden in partnership with the Institute of Cancer Research
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Wessex Cancer Trust
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The Prostate Cancer Charity
Overview
Macmillan Cancer Relief's Information Service aims to ensure that people affected by cancer have access to good‐quality, comprehensive and appropriate information and support. The Directory of Information Materials for People with Cancer brings together information with a UK‐wide remit, dated and published in the past 5 years, with DISCERN appraisal of materials referring to treatments. The third edition is the first to use the C‐H‐i‐Q Website Appraisal Criteria to assess key internet resources produced by UK organizations with expertise in cancer information.
The C‐H‐i‐Q guidelines
The guidelines can be found on the C‐H‐i‐Q website, at http://www.chiq.org. Using this tool the 14 themes of quality were considered across the websites.
Breast Cancer Care
http://www.breastcancercare.org.uk
This very comprehensive website offers support and information for anyone affected by breast cancer. It provides sections on breast cancer, breast awareness, fundraising and information about the organization. The main menu is prominent at all times and the site is easy to navigate. It provides excellent information on diagnosis, treatments and a helpful section on ‘Going into hospital’. It gives practical advice, offering a free helpline and an e‐mail enquiry service, ‘Ask a nurse’, accessible through the website. There is a separate section on information for younger women, covering fertility issues. There is also input on the site from individuals affected by breast cancer called ‘Personal Perspectives’. A helpful print function is included and all the factsheets are available in printed versions. There are very clear links to other sources of information and support organizations.
This website is written in a sensitive and helpful manner, with clear navigation.
Cancerbacup
This comprehensive site offers over 3000 pages of clear cancer information for patients, their families and health professionals. It has links to a wide range of topics including support groups and publications. Factsheets and booklets are available free to UK cancer patients and their families and additional cancer information is available in a wide range of formats including CD‐ROM, video and audiotape. Of particular interest are CancerBACUP's own local centres, based at hospitals throughout the UK and staffed by specialist cancer nurses.
The site has a feedback facility, news section and search option. The personalised Online Cancer Information Service is especially useful. Practical information includes details about national cancer organizations, local support groups and hospices as well as a resource guide with advice about legal issues, prosthetics, and patients' rights.
CancerHelp UK
This user‐friendly, proactive site offers information that is clearly set out. The user is easily guided around information that includes different cancers, lifestyle issues, treatments, prevention and checks, as well as current research, where it is done, and by whom. The site has a question and answer section, and feedback facilities. There are links directly to support groups, as well as reading lists and other online information. Site design is generally straightforward, uncluttered and consistent, with good‐sized navigation buttons for the static menu on the left side. This is a helpful resource for anyone who wishes to know more about cancer.
CancerHelp UK is a charity and the site provides the facility to make donations.
Cancerlink
This easy‐to‐use site concentrates on the practical and emotional issues of living with cancer, and offers a wide range of support services for those with cancer and their family and friends. Straightforward options guide the user through a series of navigation links and screen design is kept commendably plain and simple. The use of a personal, informal and consistent style makes this site very user‐friendly. It offers the facility for discussion forums, a free‐phone support link and contact details for local self‐help groups. Users can also offer feedback to the site developers.
Cancernet
This site offers clear cancer information for patients and health professionals. There are links from the image‐dominated home page to information in a more conventional format about cancer, treatments, lifestyle issues and clinical trials. There are also video films to watch. Information is comprehensive and any terminology is clearly explained for the benefit of patients. The plain text with coloured headings or links is easy to read and navigate. There is a useful selection of links to other cancer‐related sites. Where there is sponsorship this has been stated.
The Lymphoma Association
The web address is a portal to two sites:
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the Lymphoma Forum for Healthcare Professionals, accessible only by member's password,
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the Lymphoma Association for patients, friends and relatives.
The Lymphoma Association site offers emotional support and information for anyone with lymphatic cancer and to their families, carers and friends. Presentation is highly professional, with a concise homepage and clear navigation links to other topics.
Newsletters, information booklets and ‘questions to ask your doctor’ are all included, with some information available on cassette and video. The focus is very much on the lymphatic form of cancer, with links provided to a short selection of related sites. The style is personal and informal throughout and users can access a Helpline, by telephone or post. A Visitor Book invites user feedback on the site.
National electronic Library for Cancers
This website is one of a collection of ‘virtual’ branch libraries for the National electronic Library for Health (NeLH) and clearly states its target group at the outset. This version is currently under development as a prototype. Only two of the five links on the main side menu are active.
Many of the links are to information situated in other websites and this is explained to the user. Otherwise, text is plain and clear on a blue background, and is presented in a question and answer format. Each page has the NeLH strapline and the NHS logo, with associated colour. Diagrams are clear and simple, and sources for these are named. Details of the development team are provided, as is a feedback mechanism for comments about the site.
The Royal Marsden in partnership with the Institute of Cancer Research
http://www.royalmarsden.org.uk
This website provides practical information and advice about the hospital and its services, and general information about treatment for cancer. Within that focus, there are news sections including a newsletter, an events diary, a search option and full contact details. It provides information for both public and health professionals, for example, there is a research database about clinical research projects associated with the hospital. The ‘Captain Chemo’ section is a useful device to provide information for younger people in a user‐friendly format. The static menu options on the left provide a precise navigation tool, which becomes clearer when the user leaves the home page for the less cluttered subsequent pages.
Wessex Cancer Trust
http://www.wessexcancertrust.org.uk
This no‐frills website aims to increase people's understanding of cancer, its effects and how to prevent it. The site is packed with information, including over 40 online booklets to help cancer patients, their families and the professionals that care for them. Also included are a news page, discussion forum and links to a wide range of national and international sites, grouped under useful subject headings.
The Prostate Cancer Charity
http://www.prostate‐cancer.org.uk
The Prostate Cancer Charity offers a wide‐ranging and proactive site with the clear aim of actively promoting awareness of prostate cancer as well as offering support and information to all those affected by prostate cancer. As well as discussing the condition, this site offers related background information about research and the efforts being made to increase awareness.
Benefits of this site include a newsletter, telephone helpline and a description of the condition using clear, simple language and diagrams. There is also advice on diet and prevention, treatment and diagnosis and signs and symptoms.
There is a section with statistics and factual information, together with information about publicity campaigns and advice on how to support the charity. Especially interesting is the Press Office section with comments from celebrities helping to raise the profile of this less publicized form of cancer.