Abstract
Category: Ankle; Trauma Introduction/Purpose: Due to the increasing accessibility of Internet access, it is becoming more and more important to ensure that the informational material available online for patient education is both accurate and readable to promote a greater degree of health literacy. This study sought to investigate the quality and readability of the most popular online resources for ankle fractures. Methods: After conducting a Google search using six terms related to ankle fractures, we collected the first 20 non-sponsored results for each term. Readability was evaluated using the Flesch Reading Ease (FRE), Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), and Gunning Fog Index (GFI) instruments. Quality was evaluated using an author-created Ankle Fracture Index (AFI). Results: A total of 46 out of 120 articles met the inclusion criteria. The mean FKGL, FRE, and GFI scores were 8.4 ± 0.5, 57.5 ± 3.2, and 10.5 ± 0.5, respectively. The average AFI score was 15.4 ± 1.4, corresponding to an “acceptable” quality rating. Almost 70% of articles (n = 32) were written at or below the recommended eighth grade reading level. Most articles discussed the need for imaging in diagnosis and treatment planning while neglecting to discuss the risks of surgery or potential future operations. Conclusion: Ankle fractures are a common injury among young and old patients alike. With a varied range of treatments available, patients are likely to perform their own Internet searches before arriving at the doctor’s office. Current, online patient education materials on ankle fractures diverge from the overall trend in orthopaedics by demonstrating an eight grade average reading grade level and an acceptable quality on content analysis. Further work should surround increasing information regarding risk factors, complications for surgery, and long-term recovery.
Published Version
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