Cannabis for pain: a cross-sectional survey of the patient information quality on the Internet

Ng, Jeremy Y.; Dzisiak, Darragh A.; Saini, Jessica B.

doi:10.1186/s42238-021-00093-x

Journal of Cannabis Research

Table 2 DISCERN instrument ratings

From: Cannabis for pain: a cross-sectional survey of the patient information quality on the Internet

Section		Section 1: Is the publication reliable?								Section 2: How good is the quality of information on treatment choices?							Section 3: Overall rating of the publication
DISCERN Question		1. Are the aims clear?	2. Does it achieve its aims?	3. Is it relevant?	4. Is it clear what sources of information were used to compile the publication (other than the author or producer)?	5. Is it clear when the information used or reported in the publication was produced?	6. Is it balanced and unbiased?	7. Does it provide details of additional sources of support and information?	8. Does it refer to areas of uncertainty?	9. Does it describe how each treatment works?	10. Does it describe the benefits of each treatment?	11. Does it describe the risks of each treatment?	12. Does it describe what would happen if no treatment is used?	13. Does it describe how the treatment choices affect overall quality of life?	14. Is it clear that there may be more than one possible treatment choice?	15. Does it provide support for shared decision-making?	16. Based on the answers to all of the above questions, rate the overall quality of the publication as a source of information about treatment choices	Standard deviation of overall score (Q16)	DISCERN Score (sum of Q1-Q15)
Medical News Today	https://www.medicalnewstoday.com	4.50	4.50	4.50	4.50	5.00	5.00	5.00	4.50	4.00	4.50	4.00	2.50	3.00	4.50	5.0	4.50	0.71	65.00
WebMD	https://www.webmd.com	4.50	5.00	4.50	4.50	5.00	4.50	3.50	4.50	3.50	5.00	4.50	2.50	3.50	5.00	4.50	4.50	0.71	64.50
Very Well Health	https://www.verywellhealth.com	3.50	4.50	4.50	5.00	5.00	4.50	4.50	3.50	4.00	5.00	3.50	2.50	3.50	5.00	4.00	4.00	0.00	62.50
Creaky Joints	https://www.creakyjoints.org	4.50	4.50	4.50	4.00	1.50	4.50	4.50	4.50	3.50	4.00	4.50	2.50	4.00	5.00	4.50	4.00	0.00	60.50
Analytical Cannabis	https://www.analyticalcannabis.com	4.50	4.50	4.00	4.50	5.00	4.00	5.00	3.50	3.50	3.50	3.50	2.00	2.50	5.00	4.50	3.50	0.71	59.50
Healthline	https://www.healthline.com	4.50	4.50	4.00	4.50	5.00	4.00	5.00	3.50	3.50	3.50	3.50	2.00	2.50	5.00	4.50	3.50	0.71	59.50
Practical Pain Management	https://www.practicalpainmanagement.com	4.50	4.00	2.50	5.00	5.00	4.50	2.00	4.50	3.50	3.50	3.50	1.50	2.50	5.00	4.50	3.50	0.71	56.00
Health Central	https://www.healthcentral.com	4.50	4.50	4.50	4.50	3.50	3.50	4.50	3.00	2.50	4.50	3.00	2.00	2.00	4.50	4.00	3.50	0.71	55.00
Rheumatoid Arthritis	https://www.rheumatoidarthritis.org	4.50	5.00	2.50	3.50	5.00	2.50	4.50	2.50	3.00	4.00	3.50	3.50	2.00	4.50	4.50	3.50	0.71	55.00
Arthritis	https://www.arthritis.ca	4.00	3.50	3.50	2.00	2.00	3.50	3.50	4.00	3.00	4.00	4.50	4.00	2.50	5.00	4.50	4.00	0.00	53.50
Marijuana Doctors	https://www.marijuanadoctors.com	4.50	4.50	4.00	3.50	2.00	2.00	4.50	2.50	4.50	5.00	3.50	2.50	3.50	2.50	4.50	3.50	0.71	53.50
Health Harvard	https://www.health.harvard.edu	4.50	4.50	4.50	2.50	2.00	2.50	3.50	4.50	3.50	4.50	3.50	1.50	2.00	4.50	4.50	3.50	0.71	52.50
Kevin MD	https://www.kevinmd.com	3.50	3.50	2.50	2.50	2.50	3.50	4.50	4.50	3.00	4.00	4.50	2.00	2.50	4.50	3.50	3.50	0.71	51.00
Leafly	https://www.leafly.ca	4.00	3.50	3.50	4.00	3.50	3.50	4.50	3.00	4.50	4.50	3.50	1.00	2.50	1.50	3.00	3.00	0.00	50.00
Psychology Today	https://www.psychologytoday.com	2.50	2.00	2.50	3.50	4.00	4.50	3.50	4.00	4.00	4.00	3.50	2.50	2.00	4.50	2.50	3.00	0.00	49.50
Lab Blog UofM	https://labblog.uofmhealth.org	3.50	4.50	2.50	3.50	3.50	3.50	4.50	4.00	2.00	3.00	3.50	1.50	1.50	4.50	3.50	3.50	0.71	49.00
Canabo Medical Clinic	https://www.canabomedicalclinic.com	3.50	4.00	3.50	2.50	2.50	2.50	4.50	3.00	2.50	4.50	2.50	1.50	4.00	2.50	5.00	2.50	0.71	48.50
Beaver Bud	https://www.beaverbud.com	4.00	5.00	3.50	3.00	2.50	1.00	4.50	2.00	3.50	5.00	3.50	2.00	3.00	2.00	4.00	3.00	0.00	48.50
Way of Leaf	https://www.wayofleaf.com	4.50	3.50	3.50	3.50	3.50	2.50	4.50	3.00	3.50	4.50	3.00	1.00	2.50	1.50	3.50	3.00	0.00	48.00
The Growth Op	https://www.thegrowthop.com	4.50	4.50	3.50	3.00	2.50	2.50	4.50	3.50	3.50	4.50	2.00	1.50	3.50	1.50	3.00	2.50	0.71	48.00
Safe Access Now	https://www.safeaccessnow.org	3.50	4.00	4.00	3.00	2.50	2.50	4.00	2.50	3.50	3.50	4.50	1.00	3.50	1.50	4.00	3.00	0.00	47.50
Guidance PA	https://www.guidancepa.com	4.50	4.50	3.50	3.50	2.50	2.00	3.50	2.50	3.50	5.00	3.00	1.00	2.50	2.50	3.00	3.00	0.00	47.00
WikiLeaf	https://www.wikileaf.com	5.00	4.50	2.50	2.50	3.50	1.50	4.50	3.00	4.00	4.50	3.50	1.50	2.50	1.50	2.50	3.00	0.00	47.00
Canex	https://www.canex.co.uk	5.00	5.00	3.50	2.50	2.00	2.50	3.50	3.50	4.00	4.50	2.00	1.00	2.50	1.50	3.50	3.00	0.00	46.50
National Pain Report	http://www.nationalpainreport.com	3.50	4.50	4.00	2.50	2.50	1.50	5.00	2.00	2.50	4.50	2.50	2.00	2.00	3.50	3.50	2.50	0.71	46.00
Health Europa	https://www.healtheuropa.eu	2.50	4.50	3.50	2.50	3.00	1.50	3.50	3.50	4.50	4.50	3.00	1.00	2.50	2.50	2.50	2.50	0.71	45.00
Weed News	https://www.weednews.co	4.50	4.50	3.50	1.50	2.50	1.00	3.50	1.50	4.50	4.50	2.00	1.50	2.50	1.50	3.50	2.50	0.71	42.50
Med Card Now	https://www.medcardnow.com	4.00	2.50	2.50	3.50	3.50	1.00	2.50	1.50	3.50	4.50	3.50	1.00	2.50	1.00	4.50	3.00	0.00	41.50
Weed Maps	https://www.weedmaps.com	4.00	3.50	2.00	3.50	2.00	1.50	3.50	2.00	4.50	4.50	2.50	1.50	2.50	2.00	2.00	2.50	0.71	41.50
Cannabis Clinics	https://www.cannabisclinics.ca	3.50	4.00	2.50	3.00	1.00	3.00	3.50	2.00	2.00	3.50	3.50	1.00	1.50	1.00	4.50	2.50	0.71	39.50
Doctor Oz	https://www.doctoroz.com	1.00	N/A	2.50	2.50	2.00	2.50	4.00	3.50	2.50	4.00	3.00	1.00	2.00	5.00	4.00	2.50	0.71	39.50
Ohio Marijuana Card	https://www.ohiomarijuanacard.com	3.50	1.50	3.50	2.50	2.00	2.00	3.50	1.50	3.00	5.00	2.50	1.00	3.50	1.50	3.00	2.50	0.71	39.50
Medical Cannabis	https://www.medicalcannabis.com	4.50	3.50	2.50	3.00	2.50	1.50	4.50	1.00	2.50	4.50	2.00	2.00	1.00	1.00	1.50	2.50	0.71	37.50
SepaPain	https://www.sepapain.com	3.50	2.50	2.50	1.00	1.00	1.50	3.00	1.50	2.50	4.50	1.50	1.50	2.50	5.00	3.50	2.50	0.71	37.50
People's Cali	https://www.peoplescali.com	3.50	4.00	2.50	3.00	3.00	1.00	3.00	1.50	3.50	4.50	1.50	1.00	2.50	1.50	1.50	2.00	0.00	37.50
Denver Dispensaries	https://www.denverdispensaries.net	1.50	1.50	4.00	1.50	1.00	1.50	2.50	1.50	2.50	4.00	3.00	1.00	2.50	1.50	4.00	2.50	0.71	33.50
Total means		3.89	3.96	3.38	3.19	2.97	2.68	3.96	2.96	3.38	4.31	3.18	1.72	2.60	3.11	3.68	3.10	0.45	48.85
Total standard deviations		0.89	0.94	0.78	0.98	1.24	1.21	0.77	1.08	0.72	0.51	0.83	0.74	0.69	1.60	0.93	0.62	0.35	8.13

Table 2 provides the scores for each website across each of the three sections of the DISCERN instrument. Section 1 addresses the reliability of the publication, section 2 focuses on specific details of the information about treatment choices, and section 3 consists of the overall quality rating of each website. Each item is rated based on a 5-point Likert scale, ranging from no/does not fulfill criterion (1 point) to yes/fulfills criterion (5 points)

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