Orthopaedic Patient Information on the World Wide Web
- 17 February 2016
- journal article
- review article
- Published by Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health) in Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery
- Vol. 98 (4), 325-338
- https://doi.org/10.2106/jbjs.n.01189
Abstract
Background: Patients increasingly use the Internet to research health-related issues. Internet content, unlike other forms of media, is not regulated. Although information accessed online can impact patients’ opinions and expectations, there is limited information about the quality or readability of online orthopaedic information. Methods: PubMed, MEDLINE, and Google Scholar were searched using anatomic descriptors and three title keywords (“Internet,” “web,” and “online”). Articles examining online orthopaedic information from January 1, 2000, until April 1, 2015, were recorded. Articles were assessed for the number of reviewers evaluating the online material, whether the article examined for a link between authorship and quality, and the use of recognized quality and readability assessment tools. To facilitate a contemporary discussion, only publications since January 1, 2010, were considered for analysis. Results: A total of thirty-eight peer-reviewed articles published since 2010 examining the quality and/or readability of online orthopaedic information were reviewed. For information quality, there was marked variation in the quality assessment methods utilized, the number of reviewers, and the manner of reporting. To date, the majority of examined information is of poor quality. Studies examining readability have focused on pages produced by professional orthopaedic societies. Conclusions: The quality and readability of online orthopaedic information are generally poor. Clinical Relevance: For modern practices to adapt to the Internet and to prevent misinformation, the orthopaedic community should develop high-quality, readable online patient information.This publication has 83 references indexed in Scilit:
- Evaluation of the Quality of Information on the Internet Available to Patients Undergoing Cervical Spine SurgeryWorld Neurosurgery, 2014
- Internet use by orthopaedic outpatients – current trends and practicesAustralasian Medical Journal, 2012
- Acute low back pain information online: An evaluation of quality, content accuracy and readability of related websitesManual Therapy, 2012
- Readability of Online Patient Education Materials on Adult Reconstruction Web SitesThe Journal of Arthroplasty, 2012
- An Evaluation of Information on the Internet About a New DeviceSpine, 2012
- The Internet and the Physician-Patient RelationshipClinical Orthopaedics and Related Research, 2010
- Assessing Readability of Patient Education Materials: Current Role in OrthopaedicsClinical Orthopaedics and Related Research, 2010
- Prevalence of Internet use amongst an elective spinal surgery outpatient populationEuropean Spine Journal, 2010
- Readability of Online Patient Education Materials From the AAOS Web SiteClinical Orthopaedics and Related Research, 2008
- Untangling the Web—The impact of Internet use on health care and the physician–patient relationshipPatient Education and Counseling, 2007