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Parsons Leigh J, Brundin-Mather R, Moss SJ, Nickel A, Parolini A, Walsh D, Bigham BL, Carter AJE, Fox-Robichaud A, Fiest KM. Public awareness and knowledge of sepsis: a cross-sectional survey of adults in Canada. Crit Care 2022; 26:337. [PMID: 36329489 PMCID: PMC9632573 DOI: 10.1186/s13054-022-04215-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Sepsis is a life-threatening complication of the body’s response to infection. The financial, medical, and psychological costs of sepsis to individuals and to the healthcare system are high. Most sepsis cases originate in the community, making public awareness of sepsis essential to early diagnosis and treatment. There has been no comprehensive examination of adult’s sepsis knowledge in Canada. Methods We administered an online structured survey to English- or French-literate adults in Canada. The questionnaire comprised 28 questions in three domains: awareness, knowledge, and information access. Sampling was stratified by age, sex, and geography and weighted to 2016 census data. We used descriptive statistics to summarize responses; demographic differences were tested using the Rao–Scott correction for weighted chi-squared tests and associations using multiple variable regression. Results Sixty-one percent of 3200 adults sampled had heard of sepsis. Awareness differed by respondent’s residential region, sex, education, and ethnic group (p < 0.001, all). The odds of having heard of sepsis were higher for females, older adults, respondents with some or completed college/university education, and respondents who self-identified as Black, White, or of mixed ethnicity (p < 0.01, all). Respondent’s knowledge of sepsis definitions, symptoms, risk factors, and prevention measures was generally low (53.0%, 31.5%, 16.5%, and 36.3%, respectively). Only 25% of respondents recognized vaccination as a preventive strategy. The strongest predictors of sepsis knowledge were previous exposure to sepsis, healthcare employment, female sex, and a college/university education (p < 0.001, all). Respondents most frequently reported hearing about sepsis through television (27.7%) and preferred to learn about sepsis from healthcare providers (53.1%). Conclusions Sepsis can quickly cause life-altering physical and psychological effects and 39% of adults sampled in Canada have not heard of it. Critically, a minority (32%) knew about signs, risk factors, and strategies to lower risk. Education initiatives should focus messaging on infection prevention, employ broad media strategies, and use primary healthcare providers to disseminate evidence-based information. Future work could explore whether efforts to raise public awareness of sepsis might be bolstered or hindered by current discourse around COVID-19, particularly those centered on vaccination. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13054-022-04215-6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeanna Parsons Leigh
- Faculty of Health, School of Health Administration, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada. .,Department of Critical Care Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.
| | | | - Stephana Julia Moss
- Faculty of Health, School of Health Administration, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.,Department of Critical Care, CRISMA Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, USA
| | - Angie Nickel
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Ariana Parolini
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Deirdre Walsh
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Blair L Bigham
- Division of Critical Care, Department of Anesthesia, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Alix J E Carter
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.,Emergency Health Services Nova Scotia, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Alison Fox-Robichaud
- Division of Critical Care, Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.,Hamilton Health Sciences, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Kirsten M Fiest
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.,Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
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Sun F, Yang F, Zheng S. Evaluation of the Liver Disease Information in Baidu Encyclopedia and Wikipedia: Longitudinal Study. J Med Internet Res 2021; 23:e17680. [PMID: 33459597 PMCID: PMC7850904 DOI: 10.2196/17680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2020] [Revised: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The internet has changed the way of people acquiring health information. Previous studies have shown that Wikipedia is a reasonably reliable medical resource, and it has been ranked higher than other general websites in various search engines. Baidu Encyclopedia is one of the most popular encyclopedia websites in China. However, no studies have shown the quality of the content provided in the Baidu Encyclopedia. Objective This study aimed to evaluate the quality of liver disease information provided by Wikipedia (in English) and Baidu Encyclopedia (in Chinese) and to perform a comparison of the quality and timeliness of the articles published in these two encyclopedias. Moreover, a 3-year follow-up study was conducted to compare if the information in both these websites was updated regularly over this period. Methods We searched for information on liver diseases by using the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 10th Revision Version 2016 codes on Wikipedia (in English) and Baidu Encyclopedia (in Chinese). The quality of the articles was assessed using the DISCERN instrument, which consists of 3 sections. We recorded the latest editing date of the webpages and calculated the date interval to evaluate the update timeliness of these websites. Results We found 22 entries on liver diseases in Baidu Encyclopedia and 15 articles in Wikipedia between September 15, 2016, and September 30, 2016, and we found 25 entries in Baidu Encyclopedia and 16 articles in Wikipedia between September 15, 2019, and September 30, 2019. In section 1 of the DISCERN instrument, the mean (SE) scores of Baidu Encyclopedia entries were significantly lower than those of Wikipedia articles. In section 2 and section 3 of the DISCERN instrument, the DISCERN scores of Baidu Encyclopedia entries were lower than those of Wikipedia articles, but the differences were not statistically significant. The total DISCERN scores of Baidu Encyclopedia entries were significantly lower than those of Wikipedia articles. The update interval of the entries in Baidu Encyclopedia was found to be significantly longer than that of the articles in Wikipedia. Conclusions This study shows that the quality of articles and the reliability of the research content on liver diseases in Wikipedia are better than those of the entries in Baidu Encyclopedia. However, the quality of the treatment choices provided in both Wikipedia and Baidu Encyclopedia is not satisfactory. Wikipedia is updated more frequently than Baidu Encyclopedia, thereby ensuring that the information presented has the most recent research findings. The findings of our study suggest that in order to find accurate health information, it is important to seek the help of medical professionals instead of looking for a prescription amid the confusing information provided on the internet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Sun
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Fuchun Yang
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shusen Zheng
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
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