Quality and accuracy of patient-oriented Web-based information regarding tooth avulsion

How trustworthy is online dental information for individuals with Down syndrome from Ibero-American countries?

BACKGROUND

Internet has become an indispensable source of health-related information. However, several studies have shown there to be a lack of quality control for webpages related to disability. Specifically, available content concerning Down syndrome (DS) and dentistry is limited and of dubious quality.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the present study was to assess the quality of online content in Spanish and Portuguese on dental care for individuals with DS.

METHODS

A simultaneous search in Google and Bing using the terms "Down syndrome" and "odontology/dentist/dental treatment" in Spanish and Portuguese was conducted in seven Ibero-American countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Spain, Mexico, and Portugal). The first 100 consecutive pages of results from the three combinations of terms in each of the search engines were accessed and selected by applying conventional exclusion criteria. The selected pages were classified according to their authorship, specificity and dissemination potential. The quality of the online content was assessed using the DISCERN questionnaire and the Questionnaire to Evaluate Health Web Sites According to European Criteria (QEEC). The presence of the Health On Net (HON) and Accredited Medical Website (AMW) seals was also assessed.

RESULTS

The mean DISCERN score was 2.51 ± 0.85 and 2.57 ± 0.86 for the Spanish and Portuguese webpages, respectively. The mean readability score was 3.43 ± 1.26 and 3.25 ± 1.08 for the Spanish and Portuguese webpages, respectively. None of the selected webpages presented the HONcode or AMW trust seals.

CONCLUSIONS

The content available online in Spanish and Portuguese regarding Down syndrome and dentistry is scarce and of highly questionable quality.

Quality and accuracy of patient-oriented Web-based information regarding tooth avulsion

BACKGROUND/AIM

Tooth avulsion (TA) is a severe form of traumatic dental injury. The tooth's prognosis depends on the immediate measures taken. First responders are often laypeople, and the Internet is a favored platform to access health-related information. The aim of this descriptive study was to evaluate the accuracy, quality, readability, and popularity of patient-oriented web information regarding the emergency management of TA.

METHODS

Three search engines (Google, Bing, and Yahoo.com) were browsed with six VPNs using "knocked out tooth," "fallen out tooth," and "tooth avulsion" as keywords. The top 20 results for each were evaluated. Webpages were included if they had information oriented to caregivers. They were analyzed for accuracy (cutoff ≥95%). Quality of web pages was assessed using DISCERN and the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmark. Readability was evaluated using Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), Gunning Fog (FOG), Coleman-Liau Index (CLI), and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG). Popularity was assessed by Alexa Popularity Rank (APR). Accurate and inaccurate webpages were compared using chi-square analysis and the Mann-Whitney U test. Spearman's correlation between the studied metrics was established. A p < .05 was considered significant.

RESULTS

Seventy-two webpages were included, of which 23 (32%) were accurate. The median DISCERN ratings for accurate and inaccurate webpages were 3.0 [2.5-3.0] and 3.0 [2.0-3.0], respectively (p = .331). Ten (44%) accurate and 12 (24.5%) inaccurate webpages had high-quality JAMA (p = .089). The median readability scores for accurate webpages were FKGL (8 [6.75-9.2]), FOG (10.6 [9.55-12.3]), CLI (7 [6-7]), SMOG (6.7 [6.15-7.5]), while scores for the inaccurate webpages were FKGL (7.85 [6.275-8.525]), FOG (10.55 [8.875-11.425]), CLI (7 [7-8.25]), and SMOG (7 [6.2-7.925]), with a higher CLI score for inaccurate webpages (p = .0035). The median APRs for accurate and inaccurate webpages were 1,02,538 [26,852-14,43,755] and 7,63,190 [2,19,799-29,92,067], respectively (p = .163). Accuracy had a positive correlation with quality (DISCERN: rho = .293, p = .013; JAMA: rho = .249, p = .036), while popularity (APR) was negatively correlated with quality (DISCERN: rho = -.330, p = .013; JAMA: rho = -.287, p = .032).

CONCLUSION

Relevant webpages were limited and had low accuracy. This can impact the emergency management by laypeople and adversely affect the prognosis following avulsion.