Table 3 DISCERN ratings
| Â | DISCERN Question | About Herbs | American Botanical Council | Caremark Drug Inter-actions | Drug Infor-mation | Drug Product Database | Drugs.com | Electronic Medicines Compendium | Herbs at a Glance | Herb-Drug Inter-actions | HIV drug Inter-actions | Lexi-Natural |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Section 1: Is the publication reliable? | 1. Are the aims clear? | 5 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 4.5 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
2. Does it achieve its aims? | 5 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 3.5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | |
3. Is it relevant? | 4.5 | 5 | 4.5 | 2.5 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 4.5 | 3.5 | 4 | 5 | |
4. Is it clear what sources of information were used to compile the publication (other than the author or producer)? | 5 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3.5 | 4.5 | 1.5 | 4.5 | 5 | 2.5 | 5 | |
5. Is it clear when the information used or reported in the publication was produced? | 5 | 5 | 2.5 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 2.5 | 5 | |
6. Is it balanced and unbiased? | 5 | 5 | 2.5 | 3 | 4.5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 3.5 | 5 | |
7. Does it provide details of additional sources of support and information? | 4.5 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 4.5 | 5 | 2.5 | 5 | 5 | 2.5 | 5 | |
8. Does it refer to areas of uncertainty? | 5 | 5 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 5 | 5 | 3.5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | |
Section 2: How good is the quality of information on treatment choices? | 9. Does it describe how each treatment works? | 5 | 5 | 3 | 2.5 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 1.5 | 2.5 | 2 | 4 |
10. Does it describe the benefits of each treatment? | 5 | 4.5 | 2 | 2.5 | 3 | 4.5 | 5 | 4.5 | 5 | 1 | 5 | |
11. Does it describe the risks of each treatment? | 5 | 4.5 | 5 | 2.5 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 4.5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | |
12. Does it describe what would happen if no treatment is used? | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1.5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
13. Does it describe how the treatment choices affect overall quality of life? | 1 | 2.5 | 2 | 3 | 2.5 | 3 | 2.5 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1 | 2 | |
14. Is it clear that there may be more than one possible treatment choice? | 1.5 | 3.5 | 1 | 1.5 | 2 | 4.5 | 4 | 4 | 2.5 | 3 | 2.5 | |
15. Does it provide support for shared decision-making? | 3.5 | 2.5 | 3.5 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 4 | |
Section 3: Overall Rating of the Publication | 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 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4.5 | 3.5 | 4 | 3.5 | 3 | 4.5 |
Total DISCERN score (sum of Q1–15) | 61.00 | 63.50 | 42.50 | 33.0 | 50.00 | 66.50 | 53.50 | 60.00 | 58.00 | 43.00 | 66.50 | |
| Â | DISCERN Question | Med-scape | Merck Manual | Micro-medex | National Cancer Institute | Natural Medicines | PEPID Drug Information Database | RxList | Rx-Med | Mean score | SD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Section 1: Is the publication reliable? | 1. Are the aims clear? | 5 | 4.5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 5 | 4.58 | 0.99 |
2. Does it achieve its aims? | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4.5 | 4.58 | 1.03 | |
3. Is it relevant? | 4.5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4.42 | 0.75 | |
4. Is it clear what sources of information were used to compile the publication (other than the author or producer)? | 1 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 2.5 | 4 | 2.5 | 3.50 | 1.41 | |
5. Is it clear when the information used or reported in the publication was produced? | 1 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 2.5 | 5 | 2 | 4.03 | 1.41 | |
6. Is it balanced and unbiased? | 4.5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 2.5 | 5 | 3 | 4.34 | 0.94 | |
7. Does it provide details of additional sources of support and information? | 1 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 1.5 | 5 | 1.5 | 3.68 | 1.71 | |
8. Does it refer to areas of uncertainty? | 5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 3.5 | 4.58 | 0.63 | |
Section 2: How good is the quality of information on treatment choices? | 9. Does it describe how each treatment works? | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4.08 | 1.24 |
10. Does it describe the benefits of each treatment? | 5 | 5 | 4.5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4.29 | 1.22 | |
11. Does it describe the risks of each treatment? | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4.66 | 0.73 | |
12. Does it describe what would happen if no treatment is used? | 1 | 4 | 2.5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1.5 | 1 | 1.29 | 0.75 | |
13. Does it describe how the treatment choices affect overall quality of life? | 1 | 3.5 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2.00 | 1.09 | |
14. Is it clear that there may be more than one possible treatment choice? | 1.5 | 5 | 4.5 | 2.5 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2.97 | 1.25 | |
15. Does it provide support for shared decision-making? | 1 | 3 | 4.5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1.5 | 3.13 | 1.18 | |
Section 3: Overall Rating of the Publication | 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 | 3 | 4.5 | 5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 3 | 3.5 | 3 | 3.68 | 0.79 |
Total DISCERN score (sum of Q1–15) | 46.50 | 67.50 | 68.50 | 65.50 | 65.00 | 49.50 | 62.00 | 47.50 | 56.13 | 10.25 | |