Quality Of Web-based Information Research Articles

Quality assessment of available Internet information on early orthodontic treatment

BackgroundThis study aimed to evaluate the content, reliability, quality and readability of information on Internet websites about early orthodontic treatment.MethodsThe “early orthodontic treatment” search term was individually entered into four web search engines. The content quality and reliability were reviewed with DISCERN, Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA), and Health on the Net code (HONcode) tools using the contents of websites meeting predetermined criteria. The readability of websites was evaluated with Flesch Reading Facilitate Score (FRES) and Flesch–Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL).ResultsEighty-six websites were suitable for inclusion and scoring of the 200 websites. 80.2% of websites belonged to orthodontists, 15.1% to multidisciplinary dental clinics and 4.7% to professional organizations. The mean DISCERN score of all websites (parts 1 and 2) was 27.98/75, ranging between 19 and 67. Professional organization websites had the highest scores for DISCERN criteria. Moreover, 45.3% of websites were compatible with JAMA’s disclosure criterion, 7% with the currency criterion, 5.8% with the authorship criterion and 5.8% with the attribution criterion. Only three websites met all JAMA criteria, and these websites belonged to professional organizations. None of the websites had the HONcode logo. Mean FRES and FKGL were 47.6 and 11.6, respectively.ConclusionsThe quality of web-based information about early orthodontic treatment is poor, and readability is insufficient. More accurate and higher quality Internet sources are required on the web.

Web-Based Information on Spinal Cord Stimulation: Qualitative Assessment of Publicly Accessible Online Resources.

Despite the growing accessibility of web-based information related to spinal cord stimulation (SCS), the content and quality of commonly encountered websites remain unknown. This study aimed to assess the content and quality of web-based information on SCS. This qualitative study was prospectively registered in Open Science Framework. Google Trends was used to identify the top trending, SCS-related search queries from 2012 to 2022. Top queried terms were then entered into separate search engines. Information found on websites within the first 2 pages of results was extracted and assessed for quality using the DISCERN instrument, the Journal of the American Medical Association benchmark criteria, and the Health on the Net Foundation code of conduct certification. Website readability and SCS-related information were also assessed. After exclusions, 42 unique sites were identified (scientific resources: n=6, nonprofit: n=12, for-profit: n=20, news or media: n=2, and personal or blog: n=2). Overall, information quality was moderate (DISCERN). Few sites met all the Journal of the American Medical Association benchmark criteria (n=3, 7%) or had Health on the Net Foundation certification (n=7, 16%). On average, information was difficult to read, requiring a 9th- to 10th-grade level of reading comprehension. Sites described SCS subcategories (n=14, 33%), indications (n=38, 90%), contraindications (n=14, 33%), side effects or risks (n=28, 66%), device considerations (n=25, 59%), follow-up (n=22, 52%), expected outcomes (n=31, 73%), provided authorship details (n=20, 47%), and publication dates (n=19, 45%). The proportion of for-profit sites reporting authorship information was comparatively less than other site types (n=3, 15%). Almost all sites focused on surgically implanted SCS (n=37, 88%). On average, nonprofit sites contained the greatest number of peer-reviewed reference citations (n=6, 50%). For-profit sites showed the highest proportion of physician or clinical referrals among site types (n=17, 85%) indicating implicit bias (ie, auto-referral). Overall, our findings suggest the public may be exposed to incomplete or dated information from unidentifiable sources that could put consumers and patient groups at risk.

What Patients Find on the Internet When Looking for Information About Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: Multilanguage Cross-sectional Assessment.

The internet provides general users with wide access to medical information. However, regulating and controlling the quality and reliability of the considerable volume of available data is challenging, thus generating concerns about the consequences of inaccurate health care-related documentation. Several tools have been proposed to increase the transparency and overall trustworthiness of medical information present on the web. We aimed to analyze and compare the quality and reliability of information about percutaneous coronary intervention on English, German, Hungarian, Romanian, and Russian language websites. Following a rigorous protocol, 125 websites were selected, 25 for each language sub-sample. The websites were assessed concerning their general characteristics, compliance with a set of eEurope 2002 credibility criteria, and quality of the informational content (namely completeness and accuracy), based on a topic-specific benchmark. Completeness and accuracy were graded independently by 2 evaluators. Scores were reported on a scale from 0 to 10. The 5 language subsamples were compared regarding credibility, completeness, and accuracy. Correlations between credibility scores on the one hand, and completeness and accuracy scores, on the other hand, were tested within each language subsample. The websites' compliance with credibility criteria was average at best with scores between 3.0 and 6.0. In terms of completeness and accuracy, the website subsets qualified as poor or average, with scores ranging from 2.4 to 4.6 and 3.6 to 5.3, respectively. English language websites scored significantly higher in all 3 aspects, followed by German and Hungarian language websites. Only German language websites showed a significant correlation between credibility and information quality. The quality of websites in English, German, Hungarian, Romanian, and Russian languages about percutaneous coronary intervention was rather inadequate and may raise concerns regarding their impact on informed decision-making. Using credibility criteria as indicators of information quality may not be warranted, as credibility scores were only exceptionally correlated with content quality. The study brings valuable descriptive data on the quality of web-based information regarding percutaneous coronary intervention in multiple languages and raises awareness about the need for responsible use of health-related web resources.

Osteoporotic Vertebral Fractures: An Analysis of Readability and Quality of Web-Based information

IntroductionVertebral compression fractures are among the most common fragility fractures with significant morbidity and mortality. With an aging population, the incidence of these fractures is on the rise. In this age of social and electronic media, there is a plethora of online information available. While access to healthcare information has increased, most of these websites remain beyond the comprehension of their target audience.ObjectiveTo assess the readability and quality of online information regarding osteoporotic vertebral fractures.MethodsA search for the terms osteoporotic vertebral fractures, osteoporotic spinal fractures, and fragility spinal fractures was performed using the top five search engines. Eighty-three websites were identified and analyzed. Quality assessment was done using the DISCERN and Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) tools while readability was analyzed using the Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES), Flesch Kincaid Grade (FKG), and Gunning Fog Index (GFI).ResultsThe mean DISCERN score was 39.55 while the mean JAMA was 2.2. Readability testing revealed a mean FRES score of 49.26 with 16 websites having a score of > 60, FKG 8.38, and GFI of 9.51. 33 websites had an FKG score of 8 or below 8.ConclusionThe above results indicate that web-based information relating to osteoporotic vertebral fractures is of variable quality and readability. Although 40 % of websites are at the eighth grade or below level, only 16 % of websites are above the FRES score of 60, which makes online information difficult to comprehend by an average patient.

Quality of web-based information on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

The limited literature available on quality of online health information about attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), reported mixed findings and was more than five years old. This study aimed to assess the content quality, readability, aesthetics, and interactivity of current web-based information on ADHD. We screened first 50 links obtained on searching for ADHD using two popular search engines (Google and Bing), out of which 44 websites were selected for quality assessment. They were analysed using pre-decided study Performa, which included previously validated DISCERN instrument for content quality. Flesch-Kincaid grade level score and Flesch-Kincaid readability index were calculated for assessing readability. About 61.4% of websites had DISCERN score ≥40, suggestive of good content quality. However, only 38.6% and 13.6% of websites were written at recommended reading level of eighth and sixth grade respectively. The DISCERN score had significant positive correlation with aesthetics and interactivity scores. Websites with the Health On Net (HON) label had better content quality. No significant difference in the readability, aesthetics, and interactivity of websites with and without the HON label. This study underscores the need for improving readability of web-based information on ADHD, and highlight important areas for improving the overall quality of websites. The use of HONCode label might guide general public in gauging the content quality of online health information, but not its readability or presentation.

Harnessing Machine Learning to Personalize Web-Based Health Care Content.

Web-based health care content has emerged as a primary source for patients to access health information without direct guidance from health care providers. The benefit of this approach is dependent on the ability of patients to access engaging high-quality information, but significant variability in the quality of web-based information often forces patients to navigate large quantities of inaccurate, incomplete, irrelevant, or inaccessible content. Personalization positions the patient at the center of health care models by considering their needs, preferences, goals, and values. However, the traditional methods used thus far in health care to determine the factors of high-quality content for a particular user are insufficient. Machine learning (ML) uses algorithms to process and uncover patterns within large volumes of data to develop predictive models that automatically improve over time. The health care sector has lagged behind other industries in implementing ML to analyze user and content features, which can automate personalized content recommendations on a mass scale. With the advent of big data in health care, which builds comprehensive patient profiles drawn from several disparate sources, ML can be used to integrate structured and unstructured data from users and content to deliver content that is predicted to be effective and engaging for patients. This enables patients to engage in their health and support education, self-management, and positive behavior change as well as to enhance clinical outcomes.

Information on the Internet about clear aligner treatment-an assessment of content, quality, and readability.

PurposeThe goal was to evaluate the content, quality, and readability of the information available about clear aligner treatment on the Internet.Materials and methodsThe search terms “aligner,” “clear aligner,” and “Invisalign” (Align Technology, Tempe, AZ, USA) were analyzed in three search engines (Google [Google LLC, Mountain View, CA, USA], Bing [Microsoft, Redmond, WA, USA], and Yahoo [Yahoo, Sunnyvale, CA, USA]). The first 50 websites for each keyword in each search engine were screened. Duplicate websites, advertisements, links to scientific articles, videos, and other irrelevant websites were excluded. The quality of the remaining websites was analyzed using the DISCERN and Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmark instruments together with the Health on the Net code (HONcode, Health On the Net Foundation, Geneva, Switzerland). The readability of the websites was evaluated by the Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES) and Flesch–Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL). Statistical analyses were performed by one-way analysis of variance, Kruskal–Wallis and Fischer’s exact tests, with p < 0.05 accepted to be statistically significant.ResultsAmong 111 evaluated websites, most belonged to multidisciplinary dental clinics (n = 49; 44.2%), followed by aligner companies (n = 26; 23.4%), orthodontists (n = 26; 23.4%), and professional organizations (n = 10; 9%). The mean DISCERN score (sections 1 and 2) for all websites was 29.95/75. The average FRES and FKGL were 55.77 and 9.74, respectively. Professional organization websites had significantly higher DISCERN scores than others (p < 0.001), and together with multidisciplinary dental clinic websites, they showed better compliance with JAMA benchmark criteria. Professional organization websites’ FRES and FKGL were also higher than other websites (p > 0.05).ConclusionsOverall, the quality of web-based information about clear aligners was poor and the readability of the data was insufficient. Websites presenting high-quality data with better readability are needed for potential aligner patients.

Quality and reliability of web-based information regarding restorative treatment in pediatric patients.

The aim of the present study is to assess the quality and reliability of web-based information about restorative treatment in pediatric patients on the internet using different scales. Websites obtained by using keywords about restorative treatment in pediatric patients on Google and Yandex were included in the study. The study was conducted in English on a total of 440 websites. Websites were evaluated using the quality criteria for consumer health information (DISCERN toolkit), Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmarks, and Health on the Net Code of Conduct Certification (HONCode). The mean DISCERN points of the websites were moderate. Among the evaluated websites, the quality of the knowledge in 20% of the websites was low. The rate of websites with a score below 40 was 37.5%. None of them has reached an excellent score. No websites met all JAMA criteria. There was no HONCode Certificate on any website. This study showed that the quality of the web-based information about restorative treatment in pediatric patients was generally inadequate and scientifically imperfect.

Information on the Internet Regarding Orthognathic Surgery in Turkey: Is It an Adequate Guide for Potential Patients?

To evaluate the quality of information on websites regarding orthognathic surgery in Turkey using the DISCERN toolkit. An Internet search was performed using the Google search engine with the terms "orthognathic surgery", "jaw surgery", "jaw operation", "correcting jaw surgery", and "surgery orthodontics." The first 25 websites obtained after searching for each term were evaluated. Duplicate websites, advertisements, discussion groups, links to research articles, videos, and images were not considered. The remaining websites were analyzed using the DISCERN toolkit. This toolkit is composed of 15 questions that were scored from 1 to 5. Results were calculated as mean scores, percentages, and ranges. Among the 36 evaluated websites, 12 (33.3%) belonged to plastic surgeons, 11 (30.6%) belonged to orthodontists, 8 (22.2%) belonged to private dental clinics, 3 (8.3%) belonged to maxillofacial surgeons, 1 (2.8%) was a professional organization website, and 1 (2.8%) belonged to a private hospital. The Turkish Orthodontic Society had the only listed professional organization website. The mean total DISCERN score was 28/75 (range: 15-48). The overall quality of information in 44.4% of the websites was low. The main problems of websites were as follows: no mention of the aims, sources, and production time of information; no links for additional sources of information; and no information for patient carers. The quality of web-based information on orthognathic surgery was generally low. Higher quality information provided by public organizations that do not have profit concerns is required.

Dupuytren Disease: Is There Enough Comprehensive Patient Information on the Internet?

BackgroundDupuytren disease is a chronic nonmalign fibroproliferative disorder that causes finger contractures via proliferation of new tissue under the glabrous skin of the hand, resulting in multiple functional limitations for the patient. As many surgical therapy options exist, patients suffering from this condition actively search for information in their environment before consulting a health professional.ObjectiveAs little is known about the quality of Web-based patient information, the aim of this study was to conduct its systematic evaluation using a validated tool.MethodsA total of 118 websites were included, and qualitative and quantitative assessment was performed using the modified Ensuring Quality Information for Patients (EQIP) tool. This standardized and reproducible tool consists of 36 items to assess available information in three categories: contents, identification, and structure data. Scientific data with restricted access, duplicates, and irrelevant websites were not included.ResultsOnly 32 websites addressed more than 19 items, and the scores did not significantly differ among the website developers. The median number of items from the EQIP tool was 16, with the top websites addressing 28 out of 36 items. The quality of the newly developed websites did not increase with passing time.ConclusionsThis study revealed several shortcomings in the quality of Web-based information available for patients suffering from Dupuytren disease. In the world of continuously growing and instantly available Web-based information, it is the health providers’ negligence of the last two decades that there are very few good quality, informative, and educative websites that could be recommended to patients.

The quality of web-based information on advance directives

The quality of web-based information on advance directives

Quality of Web-Based Information on Epidural Anesthesia

INTRODUCTION: Many American adults use the Internet as a source of health information, and many adults also have difficulty understanding and using health information. Epidural anesthesia is the most commonly used method of pain control in labor, but patients' knowledge is varied. Assessment of web-based information can inform doctor–patient dialogues and decision-making practices. METHODS: Four search engines (Google, Yahoo, Bing, and Ask) were queried for the search term “epidural.” The web sites on the first page of each search engine were used for analysis. Web sites were categorized as commercial, national health organizations, or reference sites. Paid advertisements were not evaluated. Web sites were evaluated using DISCERN, a 16-question validated instrument designed to assess quality based on aims, relevance, references, treatment options, and overall impression. RESULTS: Forty unique sites were identified. Of these, 13 were paid advertisements so 27 sites were evaluated. Eight were commercial sites, nine were national health organizations, and 10 were reference sites. The overall mean DISCERN score was 45.8±13.5. Eight were of poor quality (score less than 44), 18 of average quality (score 44–67), and one of excellent quality (score greater than 67). There were no significant differences with respect to search engine used or type of web site. CONCLUSION: When patients search the Internet for information regarding epidural in labor, the majority of web sites encountered are of average to poor quality. Clinicians should educate patients regarding epidural anesthesia during labor and discuss the limitations of available web resources.

Beyond the dark side of the moon: Evaluating the quality of web-based information at the end of life

Beyond the dark side of the moon: Evaluating the quality of web-based information at the end of life

Assessing Internet Health Information on Female Pelvic Floor Disorders

While health information on the Internet on female pelvic floor disorders is abundant, to our knowledge there has been no comprehensive evaluation of the quality of this material. We assessed health information on the Internet using Health on the Net Foundation principles as they pertain to female pelvic floor disorders. Web sites were searched using the key words urinary incontinence, vaginal, uterine or pelvic organ prolapse and overactive bladder. The first 150 websites identified for each female pelvic disorder were assessed for Health on the Net Foundation certification using an automated toolbar function. The specific sponsorship of each web site was also recorded. All searched domains for female pelvic floor disorders revealed that most websites were not certified. The certification rate for urinary incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse and overactive bladder was 29%, 27% and 27%, respectively. Overall websites were sponsored by for profit commercial entities (44%), urologist/specialty societies (30%), government/educational organizations (16%), nonprofit organizations (9%) and law firms (1%). Nonprofit organizations (40%) and government/educational organization (38%) sponsored websites were more likely to be certified than those sponsored by commercial entities (25%) and urologist/specialty societies (23%) (p=0.036). The Internet has become a heavily used resource for the distribution and acquisition of health information. Availability notwithstanding, certification and validation are lacking for most sites related to information on female pelvic floor disorders. As we move forward, improvement in the quality of information on the Internet is imperative along with proper guidance to patients using the Internet as a reference.

Quality of web-based information on depression

Although some studies have already been done on the quality of websites on depression, they have mainly focused on content quality, and were mostly carried out about a decade ago. The main aim of this work was thus to examine the quality of current websites on depression through the use of several indicators. Three keywords on depression were entered into a popular search engine. Websites were evaluated on accountability, interactivity, esthetics, readability, and content quality. Moreover, the presence of the "Health on the Net" (HON) quality label and the website's affiliation were checked, and the Brief DISCERN was used as a potential content quality indicator for general consumers. A total of 45 websites were analyzed. The content quality of the depression-related websites was good. Websites with the HON label had significantly higher accountability, content quality, and Brief DISCERN scores. Moreover, websites with a high score on the Brief DISCERN scored significantly higher for accountability and content quality. Finally, the content quality of websites was significantly and positively correlated with the Brief DISCERN score, the presence of the HON label, and affiliation of the websites. The overall quality of websites on depression seems to be rather good.

Quality of web-based information on alcohol dependence

Aims: To evaluate the quality of web-based information on alcohol dependence and to assess particular content quality indicators.Methods: Three keywords, ‘alcohol addiction’, ‘alcohol dependence’ and ‘alcohol abuse’ were entered into three popular World Wide Web search engines. Websites were assessed with a standardized proforma designed to rate sites on the basis of accountability, presentation, interactivity, readability and content quality. ‘Health on the Net’ (HON) quality label, and DISCERN scale scores aimed to assist persons without content expertise to assess quality of written health publication and were used to verify their efficiency as quality indicators.Results: Of the 180 websites identified, 104 were included. Based on outcome measures, the overall quality of the sites turned-out to be poor. The global scores appeared as good content quality indicators.Conclusions: While alcohol education web sites for patients are widespread, their educational material highly varies in quality and content.

Quality of web-based information on inflammatory bowel diseases

The Internet is the largest source of health information and is widely used by inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients. As information is largely unregulated, our objective was to evaluate the quality, readability, accuracy, and accessibility of the information concerning IBD available on the World Wide Web. The phrases "inflammatory bowel disease," "Crohn's disease," and "Ulcerative Colitis" were entered separately as search terms into the 6 most commonly used search engines. Sites were categorized as institutional, pharmaceutical, nonpharmaceutical commercial sites, charitable, support, or alternative medicine. Websites were evaluated for content quality using the validated DISCERN rating instrument. Readability was graded by the Flesch Reading Ease and the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level score. Of the 76 websites evaluated by DISCERN, 43% of the sites were rated as excellent to good and 57% as fair to poor. Alternative medicine sites scored significant lower (P > 0.05) than institutional, pharmaceutical, and nonpharmaceutical commercial sites. There was no relation between a rating score and the position of a website on the search engine ranking. The median Flesch Reading Ease Score was 41.65 (range, 2.6-77.7) and 11.85 (range, 6.2-21.1) for the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level. The quality of websites containing information on IBD varies widely. Most of the online material available is too difficult to comprehend for a substantial portion of the patient population, and good quality information may be beyond reach of the average information seeker.

Quality of web-based information on alcohol dependence

Quality of web-based information on alcohol dependence

Quality of web-based information on bipolar disorder

ObjectiveTo evaluate web-based information on bipolar disorder and to assess particular content quality indicators. MethodsTwo keywords, “bipolar disorder” and “manic depressive illness” were entered into popular World Wide Web search engines. Websites were assessed with a standardized proforma designed to rate sites on the basis of accountability, presentation, interactivity, readability and content quality. “Health on the Net” (HON) quality label, and DISCERN scale scores were used to verify their efficiency as quality indicators. ResultsOf the 80 websites identified, 34 were included. Based on outcome measures, the content quality of the sites turned-out to be good. Content quality of web sites dealing with bipolar disorder is significantly explained by readability, accountability and interactivity as well as a global score. ConclusionsThe overall content quality of the studied bipolar disorder websites is good.

The quality of web-based information on hip resurfacing arthroplasty: a cross-sectional survey

The Internet has become an important source of information for patients. Websites offering medical information are not subject to peer-review. The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of information available on the web regarding hip resurfacing arthroplasty. The search term hip resurfacing was entered into five commonly used general search engines. The 20 highest-ranked websites from each engine were reviewed, after eliminating duplicate and non-relevant sites. Each site was then given a quality score (maximum of 20) according to predefined general and specific criteria. Our search identified 40 unique websites. Commercial websites were the most common (n=17). Quality scores ranged from 8 to 18, indicating that the quality of information on the web varied widely. The mean score for all sites was 11.7, SD 2.6, and only four websites scored >15. Fifteen sites did not mention the disadvantages or complications specific to hip resurfacing. The quality of information on the Internet regarding hip resurfacing is variable. Only four sites out of 40 were deemed to be of high quality. Orthopaedic surgeons need to be aware of these limitations, and take the lead in educating and counselling their patients.;