Steven G Rothrock1, Ava N Rothrock2, Sarah B Swetland2, Maria Pagane3, Shira A Isaak4, Jake Romney5, Valeria Chavez6, Silvio H Chavez1. 1. Department of Emergency Medicine, Dr. P. Phillips Hospital, Orlando Health, Orlando, Florida. 2. Oviedo High School, Oviedo, Florida. 3. Columbia University, New York, New York. 4. Winter Park High School, Winter Park, Florida. 5. Lake Mary Preparatory School, Lake Mary, Florida. 6. Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The Internet is a universal source of information for parents of children with acute complaints. OBJECTIVES: We sought to analyze information directed at parents regarding common acute pediatric complaints. METHODS: Authors searched three search engines for four complaints (child + fever, vomiting, cough, stomach pain), assessing the first 20 results for each query. Readability was evaluated using: Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, Gunning Fog, Simple Measure of Gobbledygook, and the Coleman-Liau Index. Two reviewers independently evaluated Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Benchmark Criteria and National Library of Medicine (NLM) Trustworthy scores. Two physicians (emergency medicine/EM, pediatric EM) analyzed text accuracy (number correct divided by total number of facts). Disagreements were settled by a third physician. Accuracy was defined as ≥ 95% correct, readability as an 8th-grade reading level, high quality as at least three JAMA criteria, and trustworthiness as an NLM score ≥ 3. Accurate and inaccurate websites were compared using chi-squared analysis and Mann-Whitney U test. RESULTS: Eighty-seven websites (60%) were accurate (k = 0.94). Sixty (42%) of 144 evaluable websites were readable, 38 (26%) had high-quality JAMA criteria (kappa/k = 0.68), and 44 (31%) had reliable NLM trustworthy scores (k = 0.66). Accurate websites were more frequently published by professional medical organizations (hospitals, academic societies, governments) compared with inaccurate websites (63% vs. 33%, p < 0.01). There was no association between accuracy and physician authorship, search rank, quality, trustworthiness, or readability. CONCLUSION: Many studied websites had inadequate accuracy, quality, trustworthiness, and readability. Measures should be taken to improve web-based information related to acute pediatric complaints.
BACKGROUND: The Internet is a universal source of information for parents of children with acute complaints. OBJECTIVES: We sought to analyze information directed at parents regarding common acute pediatric complaints. METHODS: Authors searched three search engines for four complaints (child + fever, vomiting, cough, stomach pain), assessing the first 20 results for each query. Readability was evaluated using: Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, Gunning Fog, Simple Measure of Gobbledygook, and the Coleman-Liau Index. Two reviewers independently evaluated Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Benchmark Criteria and National Library of Medicine (NLM) Trustworthy scores. Two physicians (emergency medicine/EM, pediatric EM) analyzed text accuracy (number correct divided by total number of facts). Disagreements were settled by a third physician. Accuracy was defined as ≥ 95% correct, readability as an 8th-grade reading level, high quality as at least three JAMA criteria, and trustworthiness as an NLM score ≥ 3. Accurate and inaccurate websites were compared using chi-squared analysis and Mann-Whitney U test. RESULTS: Eighty-seven websites (60%) were accurate (k = 0.94). Sixty (42%) of 144 evaluable websites were readable, 38 (26%) had high-quality JAMA criteria (kappa/k = 0.68), and 44 (31%) had reliable NLM trustworthy scores (k = 0.66). Accurate websites were more frequently published by professional medical organizations (hospitals, academic societies, governments) compared with inaccurate websites (63% vs. 33%, p < 0.01). There was no association between accuracy and physician authorship, search rank, quality, trustworthiness, or readability. CONCLUSION: Many studied websites had inadequate accuracy, quality, trustworthiness, and readability. Measures should be taken to improve web-based information related to acute pediatric complaints.
Authors: Khushboo Thaker; Yu Chi; Susan Birkhoff; Daqing He; Heidi Donovan; Leah Rosenblum; Peter Brusilovsky; Vivian Hui; Young Ji Lee Journal: JMIR Cancer Date: 2022-04-12