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Authors: Watson E, Jenkins L, Bukach C, Austoker J
Bottom Line:
It is not known whether routine PSA testing saves lives from prostate cancer, so it is essential that patients make informed choices about testing.
Publication details:
An information sheet for men considering the PSA test. It gives clear information about the consequences of PSA testing, including false positives and false negatives. It also gives a short description of the treatment options.
We assessed this page using an appraisal instrument developed by Minervation specifically for this project. This approach is still in development, so you should regard the assessments as a general guide. Click here to find out more, or to let us know how you think the approach could be improved.
Reliability comments:
- The leaflet was published in 2002 so it may be out of date.
- The summary has been checked by experts.
- The page was updated in 2009.
- Some references have been provided.
- No About Us or site policy statement
Usability comments:
- PDF.
- The website does not conform to web accessibility standards
- Home page of this website is messy
Scoring
Reliability
| Item |
Score |
| Is it clear who has developed the web site and what their objectives are? |
1 |
| There is an NHS logo on the homepage, but no information about the National Screening Committee or an About Us section. |
| Does the site report a robust quality control procedure? |
0 |
| There is no methodology section or any description of how information is out together. |
| Is the page content checked by an expert? |
3 |
| The summary has been checked by experts. |
| Is the page updated regularly? |
2 |
| The page was updated in 2009. |
| Does the page cite relevant sources where appropriate? |
3 |
| Some references have been provided. |
Usability
| Item |
Score |
| Is the site accessible without a login? |
3 |
| No registration required. |
| Does the site conform to web Accessibility standards? |
2 |
| Lida score 81% |
| Is the site design clear and transparent? |
1 |
| The homepage is very messy. It is hard to tell which is the main menu. Sub menus appear on the right hand side and are not very obvious. The ordering of topics in the submenus seems arbitrary. No breadcrumbs are used to guide users. Background colour of web pages makes it a strain to read the text. |
| Is the site design consistent from one page to another? |
2 |
| Yes, there is general consistency in the poor design of this site! |
| Can users find what they need on the site? |
1 |
| Despite the cluttered homepage there are links to the prostate cancer area, so users can find the right section. However, the prostate submenu is in a poor position so users may not see the subheadings. There is a search box. Results are displayed poorly and it is unclear how they are ranked. There is no site map |
| Is the format of information clear and appropriate for the audience? |
2 |
| PDF only. |
| Weighted total (Usability + (Reliability x 2)): |
29 |
We score each question out of three where:
| 0 |
= Never or Can't tell |
| 1 |
= Sometimes or partly |
| 2 |
= Mostly |
| 3 |
= Always |
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PSA testing for prostate cancer
