Abstract
BackgroundThe objective of this study was to assess the source, quality, accuracy, and completeness of Internet-based information for shoulder arthritis.MethodsA web search was performed using three common Internet search engines and the top 50 sites from each search were analyzed. Information sources were categorized into academic, commercial, non-profit, and physician sites. Information quality was measured using the Health On the Net (HON) Foundation principles, content accuracy by counting factual errors and completeness using a custom template.ResultsAfter removal of duplicates and sites that did not provide an overview of shoulder arthritis, 49 websites remained for analysis. The majority of sites were from commercial (n = 16, 33%) and physician (n = 16, 33%) sources. An additional 12 sites (24%) were from an academic institution and five sites (10%) were from a non-profit organization. Commercial sites had the highest number of errors, with a five-fold likelihood of containing an error compared to an academic site. Non-profit sites had the highest HON scores, with an average of 9.6 points on a 16-point scale. The completeness score was highest for academic sites, with an average score of 19.2 ± 6.7 (maximum score of 49 points); other information sources had lower scores (commercial, 15.2 ± 2.9; non-profit, 18.7 ± 6.8; physician, 16.6 ± 6.3).ConclusionsPatient information on the Internet regarding shoulder arthritis is of mixed accuracy, quality, and completeness. Surgeons should actively direct patients to higher-quality Internet sources.
Highlights
The objective of this study was to assess the source, quality, accuracy, and completeness of Internetbased information for shoulder arthritis
Links that did not relate to shoulder arthritis and websites requiring paid subscription were removed from the final list to more accurately simulate patient usage
The majority of information on the Internet regarding shoulder arthritis is of mixed quality and comprehensive sources are lacking
Summary
The objective of this study was to assess the source, quality, accuracy, and completeness of Internetbased information for shoulder arthritis. Traditional methods of disseminating medical information (i.e., pamphlets from local healthcare providers) have been largely replaced by websites. This expansion of health information available on the Internet has continued at an accelerated pace. Recent surveys have found that nearly 81% of U.S adults use the Internet and, of those, 72% reported searching for health-related information online [1]. Many patients choose the Internet as their initial source for information to evaluate medical conditions before deciding whether or not to seek a physician [1,2,3,4]. The quality and informational content on the Internet has the capacity to substantially impact patient health outcomes
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