JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Objectives: To explore and assess the quality of the Web-Based Health Information (WBHI) available and accessible to the public on Oral Lichen Planus (OLP) in the Arabic language.

Methods:

The Arabic translation of the term OLP and its derivatives were searched in three general search platforms and the first few hundred results of each platform were reviewed for inclusion. We excluded content related to cutaneous LP, content not readily accessible to the public (e.g., requiring subscription fees, directed to healthcare providers), and content not created by healthcare providers or organizations (i.e., community forums, blogs, and social media). We assessed the quality of the Arabic WBHI with three standardized and validated tools: DISCERN, JAMA benchmarks, and Health on the Net (HON).

Results:

Out of 911 resources of WBHI reviewed for eligibility, 49 were included in this study. Most WBHI resources were provided by commercial affiliations (57.1%), followed by not-for-profit affiliations (38.8%). WBHI on OLP are mostly presented with visual aids (i.e., images) (66%). Less than one-quarter of the WBHI resources (22.4%) met all four JAMA benchmarks, indicating full accountability of the WBHI’s providers. The DISCERN scores were highest for explicitly providing the aims of the WBHI resource while the lowest scores were noted for providing the effect of OLP (or OLP treatment) on the quality of life. HON scores showed the almost one-third of WBHI sources had scores above 70%, indicating higher reliability and credibility of the source, while one-fifth of the sources scored below 50%.

Conclusions:

There are considerable variations in the quality of WBHI on OLP in Arabic, with majority of WBHI resources showing unfavorable scores on the quality assessment tools. Improved reporting of authors, updates, and references of WBHI will improve the quality and reliability of these OLP resources; and potentially, their utility and benefit to the public seeking WBHI on OLP in Arabic.