Quality and Readability of Online Information on Ankle Instability

Autor: Madeleine Willegger MD, Gilbert M. Schwarz, Marcus Lisy
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2020
Předmět:
Zdroj: Foot & Ankle Orthopaedics, Vol 5 (2020)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2473-0114
24730114
DOI: 10.1177/2473011420S00491
Popis: Category: Ankle; Sports; Trauma Introduction/Purpose: Ankle sprains are among the most common sports injuries and up to 60% of patients experience long- term ankle disability or develop chronic ankle instability. Proper patient information is essential in both conservative and surgical treatment. The rising role of the internet has revolutionized the way patients acquire health-related information. Nevertheless, inaccurate or outdated online resources could lead to misinformation about the nature of ankle instability and the treatment options. Aim of this study was to evaluate the quality, accuracy and readability of free available online resources regarding ankle instability. Methods: Three search terms (‘ankle instability’, ‘ankle instability treatment’, ‘ankle laxity’) were searched using the three biggest search engines (Google, Bing, Yahoo). Quality and accuracy of online patient information was evaluated by using the EQIP36 and a custom 25-item list based on recommendations of the AOFAS. Readability was assessed by evaluating the Flesch-Kincaid score. Results: A total of 102 online resources were included in this study. The mean 25-item-score was 9.45 (range 1-22) and the mean EQIP 36-score was 40.72 (range 17.65-65.71). The average Flesch-Kincaid score reached 110.60 (range 10-176) and 97% of evaluated websites exceeded the recommended 8th grade reading level for patient information. Quality was significantly higher with reading levels of college graduates (p
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