S1310 Analyzing the Quality of Online Resources on COVID-19 Management in Liver Disease

Abstract

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on all patients with co-morbidities, including those with liver disease. These patients may have questions regarding the management of COVID-19 specific to their liver disease and many are turning to the internet for additional resources. This study evaluated the quality of online information related to liver disease and COVID-19. Methods: Google search engine was used to query “liver disease and COVID-19” to access the first 100 websites. Websites that were non-accessible, duplicates or videos without transcripts were excluded. Websites were categorized as academic/professional, informational, personal/blog or commercial. Discussion of pertinent topics related to liver disease and COVID-19 management was reviewed. Discussion of shared decision making and quality of life was noted. Statistical analysis was performed using two-tailed Fisher exact testing with significance set at p< 0.05. Results: Eighty-seven of 100 websites met the inclusion criteria. 42(48.3%) were academic, 43(49.4%) informational and one each (1.1%) personal and commercial. Management considerations of COVID-19 in liver disease were discussed in 34(39.1%) articles, outpatient treatment in 25(28.7%), inpatient treatment in (36.8%), risk of hepatotoxicity in 25(28.7%), liver transplant considerations in 32(36.8%), and immunosuppression considerations in 20(23.0%). All of the above topics were discussed significantly more in academic websites than in informational (p=0.0004, 0.002, 0.0001, 0.002, 0.002, 0.002, respectively) (Figure). Shared decision making was noted in 25(28.7%) websites with significantly more discussion among informational websites (39.5% vs 16.7%; p=0.030). Conclusion: Our study showed that treatment considerations of COVID-19 in liver disease were discussed far more in academic and professional resources, likely due to journal articles and scientific literature currently having the most up-to-date information online. Academic websites are more likely to discuss the nuances of up-and-coming treatments than informational resources. However, patients with liver disease likely have concerns over the interplay between COVID-19 and their condition and could benefit from more accessible information on treatment considerations. As additional resources on this topic continue to grow, it will be important for websites to include comprehensive, patient-friendly information that emphasizes shared decision making.Figure 1.: Discussion Topics on Management Considerations of COVID-19 in Liver Disease (* denotes a statistically significant difference in discussion of topic among website categories)