Correlación entre casos de varicela y búsquedas en Google en Perú / Correlation between cases of chickenpox and Google searches in Peru

Con el objetivo de determinar la correlación entre los casos de varicela notificados en Perú y las búsquedas sobre varicela realizadas en Google a nivel nacional y por regiones se realizaron análisis de correlación de Spearman para las semanas epidemiológicas del 2016 al 2019, así como antes y después de la introducción de la vacuna para varicela en el Perú. A nivel nacional, se encontró una alta correlación antes del inicio de la vacunación (Rho 0,778, p = 0,001) y moderada durante el periodo de vacunación (Rho 0,441, p = 0,001). Algunas regiones tuvieron una correlación baja o muy baja y dejaron de ser estadísticamente significativas luego de la introducción de la vacuna en el Perú. Además, el cambio en la estacionalidad de la varicela durante el periodo de vacunación también tuvo un impacto en las búsquedas que realiza la población en Google.

Abstract In order to determine if there is a correlation between chickenpox cases reported in Peru and the chickenpox searches carried out on Google at national level and by regions, Spearman's correlation analyzes were carried out for the epidemiological weeks from 2016 to 2019, as well as before and after the introduction of the chickenpox vaccine in Peru. At the national level, a high correlation was found before the start of vaccination (Rho 0.778, p = 0.001) and moderate during the vaccination period (Rho 0.441, p = 0.001), some regions had a low or very low correlation and stopped to be statistically significant after the introduction of the vaccine in Peru. In addition, the change in the seasonality of chickenpox during the vaccination period also had an impact on the searches carried out by the population on Google.

Optimización para los motores de búsqueda (SEO) y la garantía de posicionamiento en los buscadores / Search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine positioning guarantee

RESUMEN Una gran parte de la búsqueda y consumo de información digital hoy depende de los motores de búsqueda. Muchos usuarios lo utilizan como el primer paso o punto de acceso para comenzar su consulta de información. Por ello, la optimización y al mismo tiempo la visibilidad en estos buscadores, pasa a ser asunto de prioridad para elaboradores o productores de recursos de información. La optimización para los motores de búsqueda (SEO, por sus siglas en inglés) se refiere al proceso por el cual una página web obtiene y mantiene posiciones notables en las páginas de resultados naturales de los buscadores, también llamados resultados orgánicos o algorítmicos. Este trabajo aborda la importancia que esto reviste para lograr una mejor visualización de la información que se genera en las revistas médicas y en el mundo de la documentación en general.

ABSTRACT A great part of the search and consumption of digital information today depends on search engines. Many users use it as the first step or access point to begin their information inquiry. For this reason, optimization and, at the same time, visibility in these search engines, becomes a matter of priority for developers or producers of information resources. Search engine optimization (SEO) refers to the process by which a web page obtains and maintains notable positions on the pages of natural search engine results, also called organic or algorithmic results. This work comprises the importance of this to achieve a better visualization of the information generated in medical journals and in the documentation world in general.

Investigating the utility of Google trends for Zika and Chikungunya surveillance in Venezuela.

INTRODUCTION: Chikungunya and Zika Virus are vector-borne diseases responsible for a substantial disease burden in the Americas. Between 2013 and 2016, no cases of Chikungunya or Zika Virus were reported by the Venezuelan Ministry of Health. However, peaks of undiagnosed fever cases have been observed during the same period. In the context of scarce data, alternative surveillance methods are needed. Assuming that unusual peaks of acute fever cases correspond to the incidences of both diseases, this study aims to evaluate the use of Google Trends as an indicator of the epidemic behavior of Chikungunya and Zika. METHODS: Time-series cross-correlations of acute fever cases reported by the Venezuelan Ministry of Health and data on Google search queries related to Chikungunya and Zika were calculated. RESULTS: A temporal distinction has been made so that acute febrile cases occurring between 25th of June 2014 and 23rd of April 2015 were attributed to the Chikungunya virus, while cases occurring between 30th of April 2015 and 29th of April 2016 were ascribed to the Zika virus. The highest cross-correlations for each disease were shown at a lag of 0 (r = 0.784) for Chikungunya and at + 1 (r = 0.754) for Zika. CONCLUSION: The strong positive correlation between Google search queries and official data on acute febrile cases suggests that this resource can be used as an indicator of endemic urban arboviruses activity. In the Venezuelan context, Internet search queries might help to overcome some of the gaps that exist in the national surveillance system.

Google Health Trends performance reflecting dengue incidence for the Brazilian states.

BACKGROUND: Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne infection transmitted by Aedes aegypti and mainly found in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. Since its re-introduction in 1986, Brazil has become a hotspot for dengue and has experienced yearly epidemics. As a notifiable infectious disease, Brazil uses a passive epidemiological surveillance system to collect and report cases; however, dengue burden is underestimated. Thus, Internet data streams may complement surveillance activities by providing real-time information in the face of reporting lags. METHODS: We analyzed 19 terms related to dengue using Google Health Trends (GHT), a free-Internet data-source, and compared it with weekly dengue incidence between 2011 to 2016. We correlated GHT data with dengue incidence at the national and state-level for Brazil while using the adjusted R squared statistic as primary outcome measure (0/1). We used survey data on Internet access and variables from the official census of 2010 to identify where GHT could be useful in tracking dengue dynamics. Finally, we used a standardized volatility index on dengue incidence and developed models with different variables with the same objective. RESULTS: From the 19 terms explored with GHT, only seven were able to consistently track dengue. From the 27 states, only 12 reported an adjusted R squared higher than 0.8; these states were distributed mainly in the Northeast, Southeast, and South of Brazil. The usefulness of GHT was explained by the logarithm of the number of Internet users in the last 3 months, the total population per state, and the standardized volatility index. CONCLUSIONS: The potential contribution of GHT in complementing traditional established surveillance strategies should be analyzed in the context of geographical resolutions smaller than countries. For Brazil, GHT implementation should be analyzed in a case-by-case basis. State variables including total population, Internet usage in the last 3 months, and the standardized volatility index could serve as indicators determining when GHT could complement dengue state level surveillance in other countries.

Investigación del grado de interés sobre el término "cigarrillo electrónico" en la Web / Investigation about the degree of interest of the term "electronic cigarette" on the Web

El cigarrillo electrónico introduce un fuerte debate en el mercado con respecto a su intencionalidad de uso. El objetivo del presente trabajo es describir el grado de interés del término "cigarrillo electrónico" y la intencionalidad de su búsqueda en la Web en la Argentina. La herramienta que utilizamos fue el software libre de Google Trends. Las búsquedas en internet por parte de los usuarios estarían relacionadas con el consumo y no con la cesación. La vigilancia de consultas en la Web puede ser una herramienta innovadora en el control del tabaco, especialmente respecto de los dispositivos electrónicos administradores de nicotina.

The electronic cigarette introduces a strong debate in the market regarding its intentionality of use. The objective of the present work is to describe the degree of interest of the term "electronic cigarette" and the intentionality of its search in the Web in Argentina. The tool that we used was the free software of Google Trends. Internet searches by users would be related to the consumption and not with the cessation. The monitoring of web queries can be an innovative tool in tobacco control, especially in respect to the nicotine delivery system.

[Trends in Google searches on complementary and alternative medicine]. / Tendencias de las búsquedas en Google sobre terapias de medicina alternativa y complementaria.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this article is to evaluate the interest in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies using Google Trends in spanish-speaking countries. METHODS: An observational study was conducted using GoogleTrends. The search volume of 34 CAM therapies in spanish were evaluated globally and in 21 spanish-speaking countries. Also, the relationship between the median of the most popular searches and the gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in each of the countries was evaluated using Spearman's test. RESULTS: A decreased trend in search volume was observed in homeopathy, herbal medicine, acupunctureand sensory therapies; and an increasing trend in chiropraxy. A direct association was observed between the GDP per capita and the median between the most popular CAM therapies, this relationship was no significant (p = 0.432). CONCLUSIONS: The interest in CAM therapies shows temporal and geographic variations that must be studied in depth. These results can be used for the establishment of an international monitoring for the use of CAM therapies.

Introducción: el objetivo de este artículo es evaluar el interés de la población en terapias de medicina alternativa y complementaria (MAC), a través de la herramienta Google Trends y en países de habla hispana. Métodos: se realizó un estudio observacional mediante la herramienta Google Trends. Se evaluaron las tendencias de búsqueda de 34 terapias de MAC en español, de manera global y en 21 países de habla hispana. Se evaluó la asociación entre la mediana de búsquedas de las terapias más populares y el producto interno bruto (PIB) per cápita en cada país, mediante la prueba de Spearman. Resultados: se observa una tendencia descendente en el volumen de búsquedas de homeopatía, medicina herbaria, acupuntura y terapias sensoriales; así como una tendencia ascendente de la quiropraxia. Además, al analizar los países se observó una asociación directa entre el PIB per cápita y la mediana de la búsqueda de las terapias de MAC más populares, pero esta no fue significativa (p = 0.432). Conclusiones: el interés de terapias de MAC presenta variaciones temporales y geográficas que deben estudiarse a profundidad. Estos resultados pueden ser de utilidad para establecer una vigilancia internacional al respecto.

Confiabilidade e qualidade das informações on-line sobre câncer bucal: o panorama brasileiro / Reliability and quality of online information on oral cancer: the brazilian landscape / Confiabilidad y calidad de la información online sobre el cáncer oral: el panorama brasileño

Introdução: O câncer é um problema de saúde pública que desperta interesse tanto em profissionais de saúde quanto em pacientes, os quais atualmente buscam conhecimento sobre o assunto, principalmente por meio da Internet. Objetivo: Diante da importância em obter conteúdos confiáveis, este artigo pretende verificar a qualidade das informações fornecidas pelos sites brasileiros sobre câncer bucal, encontrados após uma busca on-line. Método: Foram utilizadas as palavras-chave: câncer de boca, câncer bucal e câncer oral no Google®, para identificar os sites e obter o grau de confiabilidade e o nível do conteúdo disponibilizado. Resultados: Em relação à confiabilidade, notou-se que houve sites que não apresentavam dados importantes como a qualificação de pessoas ou instituições responsáveis, além de não informarem que os conteúdos não substituem a consulta médica. Em relação ao conteúdo, o assunto prevenção foi o mais presente, além de características clínicas básicas do câncer de boca e o autoexame, porém a minoria das páginas apresentou informações mais específicas como histopatologia, reabilitação, prognóstico e complicações. Conclusão: Nos casos de internautas que buscam apenas informações básicas sobre a patologia, eles podem encontrar boas ferramentas de pesquisa, entretanto, o mesmo material é considerado insuficiente para o público acadêmico e profissional da área da saúde, que enfrentam dificuldades para obter material de qualidade com informações complementares mais específicas.

Introduction: Cancer is a public health issue of interest to both health professionals and patients, who seek knowledge on the subject, especially through the Internet. Objective: Given the importance of obtaining reliable content, the aim of this article is to evaluate the quality of information on oral cancer provided by Brazilian sites found after an online search. Method: Three keywords related to oral cancer were entered into Google®, to identify sites and assess their degree of reliability and level of the content. Results: With respect to reliability, it was noted that there were sites that had no important data such as the qualification of persons or institutions responsible, and did not state that the contents do not replace medical consultation. Regarding the content, the subject of prevention was the most present, in addition to basic clinical features of oral cancer and self-examination, although a minority of pages presented more specific information such as histopathology, rehabilitation, prognosis and complications. Conclusion: In cases of Internet users who seek only basic information about the disease, it is possible to find good research tools, however, the same material is considered insufficient for those in the academic and professional public health area, who are struggling to get quality material with more specific information.

Introducción: El cáncer es un problema de salud pública que despierta interés en los profesionales de la salud y en los pacientes, que actualmente buscan el conocimiento sobre el tema principalmente por Internet. Objetivo: Dada la importancia de obtener contenido confiable, esta evaluación determinó la calidad de la información proporcionada por los sitios brasileños sobre el cáncer oral después de una búsqueda online. Método: Se utilizaron tres palabras clave sinónimas del cáncer oral, en motor de búsqueda de Google ®, para evaluar el grado de confiabilidad y de calidad del contenido de los sitios disponibles. Resultados: Se observó que había sitios que no tenían datos importantes como la cualificación de las personas y las instituciones responsables, además, no informaron que el contenido no sustituyen a la consulta médica. En cuanto al contenido, la prevención era el tema más presente, además de las características clínicas básicas de cáncer oral y el auto-examen, pero una minoría de páginas mostró información más específica, como la histopatología, la rehabilitación, el pronóstico y las complicaciones. Conclusión: En los casos de los usuarios de Internet que buscan únicamente la información básica acerca de la enfermedad, es posible encontrar buenas herramientas de investigación, sin embargo, el mismo material se considera insuficiente para el área académica y profesional, que tienen dificultad para obtener material de calidad y información más específica.