{
  "abstract": "Objectives To determine how patients use the internet to get health information and to identify their needs and preferences for a journal transparency tool which would highlight journal transparency practices.Design A mixed-methods study comprising a cross-sectional online survey followed by virtual focus groups to further explore the survey responses.Setting Canada.Participants A total of 183 adult patients and caregivers completed our online survey. 29 survey respondents participated in the subsequent focus groups.Primary and secondary outcome measures We report descriptive statistics (counts and percentages) for all quantitative survey items. We used thematic content analysis for text-based survey responses. The focus groups asked patients about four key topics: (1) the content they would like to see in a journal transparency tool, (2) how they would like the content visually displayed, (3) how to best share the tool with patients and (4) how to determine whether the tool was successful over time. We conducted a thematic content analysis to identify core themes discussed. Focus group participants then rank-ordered the themes identified by their perceived importance.Results Of the 183 survey respondents, 146 (82%) indicated they use the internet most often when looking for health information, 66 (37%) indicated they sometimes read original research articles when searching for health information and 92 (52%) indicated they sometimes have difficulty knowing if the information they read online is reliable. Approximately half (86; 49%) of the survey respondents had never heard of predatory journals. We identified 32 themes across the four key topic areas that were discussed in the focus groups.Conclusions Patients have expressed a need for a journal transparency tool. This study will inform the tool’s development to ensure that it meets the needs and preferences of patients.",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Centre for Journalology, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada"
      ],
      "name": "Alicia Ricketts"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Centre for Journalology, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada",
        "Acute Care Research Programs, BLUEPRINT Translational Research Group, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada",
        "Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada",
        "Methodological and Implementation Research Program, Blueprint Translational Research Group, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada"
      ],
      "name": "Manoj M Lalu"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Patient Partner, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada"
      ],
      "name": "Laurie Proulx"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Patient Partner, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada"
      ],
      "name": "Michael Halas"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Methodological and Implementation Research Program, Blueprint Translational Research Group, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada"
      ],
      "name": "Gisell Castillo"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada"
      ],
      "name": "Elham Almoli"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Telfer School of Management, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada"
      ],
      "name": "Marc Antonino Albert"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Telfer School of Management, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada"
      ],
      "name": "Agnes Grudniewicz"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Centre for Journalology, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada",
        "Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada"
      ],
      "name": "Gregory L Bryson"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Centre for Journalology, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada",
        "Ottawa Methods Centre, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada"
      ],
      "name": "David Moher"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Open Science and Metaresearch Programs, University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada",
        "School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada"
      ],
      "name": "Kelly Cobey"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Establishing patient perceptions and preferences for a journal transparency tool to support health literacy: a mixed-methods online survey and focus group study of Canada-based patients",
  "uid": "23a454f7-03ac-5300-a4e7-556c5093cb1f"
}