Study Title:
Perspectives of Healthcare Professionals on the Reliability of Health Advice on the Internet
Research Investigator:
Hamman W. Samuel, PhD Candidate, Dept. of Computing Science, University of Alberta
hwsamuel@ualberta.ca
Supervisor:
Co-Investigator:
Title: Canadian Network for Personalized Interventions in Intellectual Disability Supervisor: Dr. Francois Bolduc, Dept. of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Alberta
fbolduc@ualberta.ca
Background:
Anyone with an Internet connection can create content online, including uncertain and fake information. Fake health information going viral could have severe consequences, such as the case of viral Facebook posts linking autism with vaccinations. Searching for unsubstantiated cures on Google is also risky for health information consumers because laypersons generally cannot critically appraise resources.
Purpose:
In this study, we are exploring the challenge of identifying uncertain online health information through the perspectives of medical professionals. The study involves gathering the professional opinions of various medics for potentially controversial health-related phrases found online.
Study Procedures:
The research involves filling out a questionnaire and will typically take around five (5) minutes. Please note that you cannot withdraw once you have submitted the completed online survey or print survey because all responses are stored anonymously and cannot be traced for deletion.
Benefits:
We hope that the information we gather from this study will help us better understand how medical professionals distinguish between factual and fake online information. The study can lead to more refined automated computing tools and algorithms to help laypersons identify fake health information online.
Risk:
There are no known risks to participating. If any risk is discovered, participants will be informed.
Voluntary Participation:
You are under no obligation to participate in this study. Participation is completely voluntary, and you can leave the study if you do not wish to answer any question. There are no costs involved in participating in this research. The participants will not receive any compensation, reimbursements, remunerations, stipends, gifts, or rewards.
Confidentiality and Anonymity:
All data collected will be kept confidential, and anonymized results of the research will be used in the research investigator's thesis, articles, and presentations. The data will be kept in a secure location for a minimum of five (5) years and subsequently deleted. The survey provider is the Women & Children's Health Research Institute (WCHRI) via the REDCap software, and we have put measures in place to support the anonymization and secure storage of information on servers within Canada
Further Information:
If you have any questions regarding this study, please contact the Research Investigator or Supervisors. The plan for this study has been reviewed by a Research Ethics Board at the University of Alberta (Study ID: Pro00079019). If you have questions about your rights or research conduct, please call +1-780-492-2615. This office is independent of the researchers.
Consent Statement:
By continuing with the survey, you acknowledge that you have read this form containing a consent statement and the details of the research study. You have understood that completion and submission of the subsequent survey form constitutes consent. If you have additional questions, you have been told whom to contact. You agree to participate in the research study described above by submitting your responses.