119 Evaluating the Quality and Readability of Online Information on Unspecified Kidney Donation

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Living kidney transplantation from donors bearing no genetic or emotional relationship with the recipient, is known as unspecified kidney donation (UKD). UKD can create multiple living donor transplantation opportunities and shorten the national waiting list for cadaveric organs. Consequently, the UK Living Donor Kidney Transplantation 2020 Strategy, has prioritised maximising UKDs. The Internet has an established role in raising awareness, offering support, and potentially influencing the decision for or against UKD. This is the first study assessing the quality and readability of online material related to UKD. Method Google was used to search for the following terms: ‘kidney donation’ and one of ‘unspecified’, ‘altruistic’, ‘non-directed’, ‘anonymous’ or ‘good Samaritan’ as well as ‘giving or donating a kidney to a stranger’. Two independent assessors reviewed the top 100 websites and assessed their quality using the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) criteria, the DISCERN instrument and HONcode (Health on the Net Code) certification. Readability was assessed using the Flesch Reading Ease (FRE), Flesch-Kincaid Grade (FKG) and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) scores. Results Only 6% of websites displayed a HONcode stamp. The mean (± SD) JAMA and DISCERN scores of 1.96 (±1.00) and 32.34 (±11.19) respectively, indicate poor quality. The mean (± SD) FRE, FKG and SMOG scores of 52.92 (±13.62), 10.60 (±2.72) and 9.64 (±2.22), respectively, reveal poor readability. Conclusions Transplant centres and medical organisations should prioritise improving the standards of online material on UKD. This enables informed and ethical decision-making when attempting to expand the living donor pool.