Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Formative Research
Date Submitted: Dec 15, 2023
Open Peer Review Period: Dec 15, 2023 - Jan 17, 2024
Date Accepted: Jan 29, 2024
(closed for review but you can still tweet)
An Evaluation of The Quality and Readability of Online Information Regarding Foreign Bodies of the Ear, Nose and Throat
ABSTRACT
Background:
Foreign body inhalation, ingestion and insertion account for 11% of emergency admissions under Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT). Children are disproportionately affected, and urgent intervention may be needed to maintain airway patency and prevent blood vessel occlusion. High-quality, readable online information could help reduce poor outcomes from foreign bodies.
Objective:
To determine the quality and readability of available online health information relating to foreign bodies.
Methods:
Six search phrases were queried using the Google Search Engine. For each search term, the first 30 results were captured. Websites in the English language and displaying health information were included. The provider and country of origin were recorded. The modified thirty-six-item Ensuring Quality Information for Patients (EQIP) tool was used to assess information quality. Readability was assessed using a combination of tools: Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES), Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), Gunning-Fog Index (GFI), and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG).
Results:
After removal of duplicates, 73 websites were assessed, with the majority originating from from the United States (63%). Overall, the quality of the content was of moderate quality, with a median EQIP score of 21 (IQR 18-25, max 29) out of a maximum possible score of 36. Precautionary measures were not mentioned on 40% of websites and 30% did not identify disc batteries as a risky foreign body. Red flags necessitating urgent care were identified on 95% of websites, with 89% advising patients to seek medical attention and 38.4% advising on safe foreign body removal. Readability scores (FRES: 12.4 years; FKGL: 6.2; GFI: 6.5; SMOG: 5.9) showed most websites (56%) were below the recommended 6th-grade level.
Conclusions:
The EQIP score suggests that information quality should be improved to provide patients and parents with clear information to help identify high-risk foreign bodies such as disc batteries and magnets, while providing guidance for removal of low-risk foreign bodies. Readability should also be optimised to 6th-grade/12-years-old literacy level where possible. Future research should focus on strategies for improving information quality and readability of information on websites appearing on the first page of search results. Clinical Trial: nil
Citation
Request queued. Please wait while the file is being generated. It may take some time.
Copyright
© The authors. All rights reserved. This is a privileged document currently under peer-review/community review (or an accepted/rejected manuscript). Authors have provided JMIR Publications with an exclusive license to publish this preprint on it's website for review and ahead-of-print citation purposes only. While the final peer-reviewed paper may be licensed under a cc-by license on publication, at this stage authors and publisher expressively prohibit redistribution of this draft paper other than for review purposes.