BACKGROUND
WeChat is one of the most important information sources for Chinese people. Relevantly, various health-related data are constantly transmitted among WeChat users. WeChat public accounts for health (HWPAs) are rapidly emerging. HWPAs have a significant impact on public health. Because of the rise in online health-seeking behavior, the general public has grown accustomed to obtaining cancer information from WPAs. Although WPAs make it easy for people to obtain health information, the quality of the information is questionable.
OBJECTIVE
This research aims to help CWPAs improve their service quality and optimize the online health communication environment.
METHODS
The survey was conducted from February 1 to 28, 2023. Based on the WPA monthly list provided by Qingbo Big Data, 28 CWPAs in the WCI were selected as the survey sample. Quality assessment of the included CWPAs was performed using the HONcode instrument. Furthermore, suitability was measured by using the Suitability Assessment of Materials (SAM). Two researchers conducted the evaluations independently.
RESULTS
Of the 28 CWPAs, 12 (42.9%) were academic and 16 (57.1%) were commercial. No statistical difference was found regarding the HONcode scores between the two groups (p = 0.96). The quality of the academic and commercial CWPAs evaluated using the HONcode instrument demonstrated mean scores of 5.58±2.02 and 5.63±2.16, respectively, corresponding to a moderate class. All CWPAs’ compliance with the HONcode principles were unsatisfactory. A statistically significant difference between the two groups was observed in the SAM scores (p = 0.04). The commercial WPAs reached an overall 55.1%±5.5 score versus the 50.2%±6.4 score reached by academic WPAs. The suitability of academic and commercial CWPAs was considered adequate.
CONCLUSIONS
The present study revealed that CWPAs are not sufficiently credible. WPAs owners must endeavor to create reliable health websites using approved tools, such as the HON code criteria. However, it is necessary to educate the public about the evaluation tools of health websites to assess their credibility before utilizing the provided content. In addition, improving readability will allow the public to read and understand the content.