Dr  Eduardo Deliyannis¹, Dr  Patrick Daly², Dr  Guy Stanley², Dr  Aoife O’Brien², Dr Chris Lau², Dr  Fiona  Wood², Mr Jonathon Pleat¹

¹University of Bristol, , England, ²Fiona Stanley Hospital, Perth, Australia

Abstract:

Introduction: While the internet is an invaluable resource for both patients and healthcare providers in the management of burns, websites are often unregulated and highly variable in the quality of their content. Burns centres are in the unique position of possessing presumed reputability amongst the public. It is therefore imperative that their websites provide information that is consistent in its content and quality, through a format that is accessible and coherent.

Method: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the websites of burns centres in Australia and New Zealand and highlight the importance of the leadership role that these centres should possess online. A multicentre, observational, cross-sectional study was performed over a period of two months (June – July 2021).

Results/discussion: Fifteen burns centres across Australia and New Zealand were identified. Each centre’s website was evaluated under the following categories: domains of factual advice, quality of information communication, quality of first-aid advice and analysis of duration of burns irrigation. Overall, the websites identified were found to be excellent sources of information on the management of burns. However the consistency of content and quality of these resources remains an area for potential improvement and should be considered in the future design of such websites.

Biography:

Paddy Daly is an Irish doctor, currently working as a Plastic Surgery Service Registrar at Royal Perth Hospital