What Is the Quality of Online Information on Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)?

Abstract

Introduction: Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) patients frequently have difficulty understanding the disease process due to its complexity and lack of definitive testing. This may lead patients to rely on webbased information but online resources have not been adequately studied for overall quality. The aim of this study was to identify popular IBS online resources and assess their validity, readability, and content. Methods: 50 adult non-patients, non-healthcare workers were asked to search “irritable bowel syndrome” on an online search engine and report the first page of results. Each website was ranked based on frequency of appearance and the top 11 websites were individually scored for validity, readability, and content by three investigators. Validity was measured by the DISCERN and HON tools. Readability was measured via Flesch Reading Ease and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level scales. Content was measured by a rubric consisting of terms developed by three IBS specialists pertaining to diagnosis, etiology, signs and symptoms, and treatment for IBS (Maximum score 66).2787_A Figure 1 No Caption available.Results: Subject demographics: 25 were < 30 years old; 3 were 30-50; 22 were > 50. 7 resided outside the U.S. 7 had previously searched IBS. The results for validity, readability, and content scoring, as well as the order of the 11 websites ranked by frequency from the searches is shown in Table 1. The Atlantic and MedlinePlus were not scored because they were an editorial and a reference guide respectively. For validity, four sites were certified by HON as indicated by a visible emblem. No source scored a 5 on DISCERN primarily due to lack of details of support and information. A comparison of readability and content is shown on Table 2. For readability, WebMD and NIDDK scored > 60 on the Flesch Reading Ease Score; Mayo Clinic (Fairly difficult); all other sites scored as difficult or confusing < 49. Only WebMD and NIDDK were written at an appropriate grade level for patient resources (6-8th Grade). For content, 5 sites scored > 45; 3 sites scored 30-45; 1 site scored < 30. There was no correlation between readability and content (correlation coefficient 0.13). Conclusion: Most online resources that appear on a search for irritable bowel syndrome have a poor readability score, particularly Wikipedia. The top site for both readability and content was NIDDK. These data suggest that healthcare providers should take an active role in directing patients to online resources on IBS.2787_B Figure 2 No Caption available.