Can Pharmacy Students Use Wikipedia as a Learning Resource? Critical Assessment of Articles on Chemotherapeutic Drugs

Autor/inn/en	Azer, Samy A.; Alsharafi, Aya A.
Titel	Can Pharmacy Students Use Wikipedia as a Learning Resource? Critical Assessment of Articles on Chemotherapeutic Drugs
Quelle	In: Advances in Physiology Education, 47 (2023) 2, S.333-345 (13 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Azer, Samy A.) ORCID (Alsharafi, Aya A.)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1043-4046
Schlagwörter	Pharmaceutical Education; Encyclopedias; Collaborative Writing; Electronic Publishing; Information Sources; Drug Therapy; Accuracy; Readability + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Encyclopedia; Enzyklopädie; Elektronisches Publizieren; Information source; Informationsquelle; Lesbarkeit
Abstract	Pharmacy students tend to use Wikipedia as a quick resource of knowledge. This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of content and readability level of Wikipedia articles on chemotherapeutics, using quality and readability tools. Using the British National Formulary (BNF-2018) and ClinicalTrials.gov, we identified 188 chemotherapeutic drugs. We randomly selected 100 drugs with an Excel randomization program. The English Wikipedia was searched for the selected 100 drugs, and prints of the identified articles were obtained. Readability was calculated with an online instrument (http://www.readabilityformulas.com/). Articles were independently scored by two researchers using the modified DISCERN tool for content assessment. The modified DISCERN scores had a median value of 24 [interquartile range (IQR) = 7.5]. Two articles (2%) had good quality (DISCERN score 36-40), thirty-eight (38%) were moderate (DISCERN 26-35), and sixty (60%) were poor in score (DISCERN [less than or equal to]25). The articles covered drug indications and most side effects. However, the majority lacked information on the routes of administration, contraindications, pharmacokinetics, and mechanisms of action. We found a correlation between DISCERN scores and number of edits (P value = 0.00033, R[superscript 2]= 0.1238). The number of references varied from 2 to 150 (median= 17, IQR = 17). Several problems were identified in the lists of references and citations. Most articles lacked tables and figures. The readability of the articles was 14.35 ± 3.13, consistent with the readability level of university students. In conclusion, the Wikipedia articles on chemotherapeutic drugs were not written for professional pharmacy students. Although they matched the expected readability level of university students, most were incomplete and lacked essential information. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01