Google Trends–Assisted Analysis of the Readability, Accountability, and Accessibility of Online Patient Education Materials for the Treatment of AMD After FDA Approval of Pegcetacoplan

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the readability, accountability, accessibility, and source of online patient education materials for treatment of age-related macular degeneration AMD and to quantify public interest in “Syfovre” and “geographic atrophy” after Food and Drug Administration approval. Methods: Websites were classified into 4 categories by information source. Readability was assessed using 5 validated readability indices. Accountability was assessed using 4 benchmarks of the Journal of the American Medical Association ( JAMA). Accessibility was evaluated using 3 established criteria. The Google Trends tool was used to evaluate temporal trends in public interest in “Syfovre” and “geographic atrophy” in the months after US Food and Drug Administration approval. Results: Of 100 websites analyzed, 22% were written below the recommended sixth-grade reading level. The mean (±SD) grade level of analyzed articles was 9.76 ± 3.35. Websites averaged 1.40 ± 1.39 (of 4) JAMA accountability metrics. The majority of articles (67%) were from private practice/independent organizations. A significant increase in the public interest in “Syfovre” and “geographic atrophy” after FDA approval was found with the Google Trends tool ( P < .001). Conclusions: Patient education materials related to AMD treatment are often written at inappropriate reading levels and lack established accountability and accessibility metrics. Articles from national organizations ranked highest on accessibility metrics but were less visible on a Google search, suggesting the need for visibility-enhancing measures. Patient education materials related to “Syfovre” had the highest average reading level and low accountability, suggesting the need to modify resources to best address the needs of an increasingly curious public.