Vishal Narwani1, Keerthana Nalamada1, Michael Lee2, Prasad Kothari3, Raj Lakhani2. 1. Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, Norwich, United Kingdom. 2. Department of Otolaryngology, St George's Hospital, Tooting, London, United Kingdom. 3. Department of Otolaryngology, Luton & Dunstable Hospital, Luton, United Kingdom.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Patients are increasingly using the internet to access health-related information. The purpose of this study was to assess the readability and quality of laryngeal cancer-related websites. METHODS: Patient education materials were identified by performing an internet search using 3 search engines. Readability was assessed using Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES), Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), and Gunning Fog Index (GFI). The DISCERN instrument was utilized to assess quality of health information. RESULTS: A total of 54 websites were included in the analysis. The mean readability scores were as follows: FRES, 48.2 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 44.8-51.6); FKGL, 10.9 (95% CI = 10.3-11.5); and GFI, 13.8 (95% CI = 11.3-16.3). These scores suggest that, on average, online information about patients with laryngeal cancer is written at an advanced level. The mean DISCERN score was 49.8 (95% CI = 45.4-54.2), suggesting that online information is of variable quality. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests much of the laryngeal cancer information available online is of suboptimal quality and written at a level too difficult for the average adult to read comfortably.
BACKGROUND:Patients are increasingly using the internet to access health-related information. The purpose of this study was to assess the readability and quality of laryngeal cancer-related websites. METHODS:Patient education materials were identified by performing an internet search using 3 search engines. Readability was assessed using Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES), Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), and Gunning Fog Index (GFI). The DISCERN instrument was utilized to assess quality of health information. RESULTS: A total of 54 websites were included in the analysis. The mean readability scores were as follows: FRES, 48.2 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 44.8-51.6); FKGL, 10.9 (95% CI = 10.3-11.5); and GFI, 13.8 (95% CI = 11.3-16.3). These scores suggest that, on average, online information about patients with laryngeal cancer is written at an advanced level. The mean DISCERN score was 49.8 (95% CI = 45.4-54.2), suggesting that online information is of variable quality. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests much of the laryngeal cancer information available online is of suboptimal quality and written at a level too difficult for the average adult to read comfortably.
Authors: Ingrid C Cnossen; Cornelia F van Uden-Kraan; Simone E J Eerenstein; Femke Jansen; Birgit I Witte; Martin Lacko; José A Hardillo; Jimmie Honings; Gyorgy B Halmos; Noortje L Q Goedhart-Schwandt; Remco de Bree; C René Leemans; Irma M Verdonck-de Leeuw Journal: Support Care Cancer Date: 2015-08-26 Impact factor: 3.603