Frontiers in Surgery (Jan 2024)

Comprehensiveness of online sources for patient education on otosclerosis

  • Ahmet Adnan Cırık,
  • Yeşim Esen Yiğit,
  • Ahmet Mahmut Tekin,
  • Yaşar Kemal Duymaz,
  • Şamil Şahin,
  • Burak Erkmen,
  • Vedat Topsakal

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fsurg.2024.1327793
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 11

Abstract

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PurposeThis study aimed to assess the readability indices of websites including educational materials on otosclerosis.MethodsWe performed a Google search on 19 April 2023 using the term “otosclerosis.” The first 50 hits were collected and analyzed. The websites were categorized into two groups: websites for health professionals and general websites for patients. Readability indices were calculated using the website https://www.webfx.com/tools/read-able/.ResultsA total of 33 websites were eligible and analyzed (20 health professional-oriented and 13 patient-oriented websites). When patient-oriented websites and health professional-oriented websites were individually analyzed, mean Flesch Reading Ease scores were found to be 52.16 ± 14.34 and 46.62 ± 10.07, respectively. There was no significant difference between the two groups upon statistical analysis.ConclusionCurrent patient educational material available online related to otosclerosis is written beyond the recommended sixth-grade reading level. The quality of good websites is worthless to the patients if they cannot comprehend the text.

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