Phototherapy for vitiligo: Quality and readability of online health information.

IF 2.5 4区医学 Q2 DERMATOLOGY

Photodermatology, photoimmunology & photomedicine Pub Date : 2024-03-01 DOI:10.1111/phpp.12958

Krithika Nayudu, Rhea Malik, Stephanie Sanchez-Melendez, T J Hazen, Mihir K Patil, Vinod E Nambudiri

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background/purpose: Vitiligo is a depigmenting disorder that affects up to 2% of the population. Due to the relatively high prevalence of this disease and its psychological impact on patients, decisions concerning treatment can be difficult. As patients increasingly seek health information online, the caliber of online health information (OHI) becomes crucial in patients' decisions regarding their care. We aimed to assess the quality and readability of OHI regarding phototherapy in the management of vitiligo.

Methods: Similar to previously published studies assessing OHI, we used 5 medical search terms as a proxy for online searches made by patients. Results for each search term were assessed using an enhanced DISCERN analysis, Health On the Net code of conduct (HONcode) accreditation guidelines, and several readability indices. The DISCERN analysis is a validated questionnaire used to assess the quality of OHI, while HONcode accreditation is a marker of site reliability.

Results: Of the 500 websites evaluated, 174 were HONcode-accredited (35%). Mean DISCERN scores for all websites were 58.9% and 51.7% for website reliability and treatment sections, respectively. Additionally, 0/130 websites analyzed for readability scored at the NIH-recommended sixth-grade reading level.

Conclusion: These analyses shed light on the shortcomings of OHI regarding phototherapy treatment for vitiligo, which could exacerbate disparities for patients who are already at higher risk of worse health outcomes.

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白癜风的光疗：在线健康信息的质量和可读性。

背景/目的：白癜风是一种脱色性疾病，发病率高达总人口的 2%。由于这种疾病的发病率相对较高，而且对患者的心理影响很大，因此很难做出治疗决定。随着患者越来越多地在网上寻求健康信息，网上健康信息（OHI）的质量对患者做出治疗决定至关重要。我们旨在评估有关白癜风光疗的在线健康信息的质量和可读性：与之前发表的评估 OHI 的研究类似，我们使用 5 个医学搜索词来代表患者的在线搜索。我们使用增强型 DISCERN 分析法、Health On the Net 行为准则 (HONcode) 认证指南和几个可读性指数对每个搜索词的结果进行了评估。DISCERN 分析是一种经过验证的问卷调查，用于评估 OHI 的质量，而 HONcode 认证则是网站可靠性的标志：在接受评估的 500 个网站中，有 174 个通过了 HONcode 认证（占 35%）。所有网站在网站可靠性和治疗部分的 DISCERN 平均得分分别为 58.9% 和 51.7%。此外，在可读性分析中，0/130 的网站得分达到了美国国立卫生研究院推荐的六年级阅读水平：这些分析揭示了OHI在白癜风光疗治疗方面的不足，这可能会加剧那些健康状况较差的高危患者的不平等。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Photodermatology, photoimmunology & photomedicine 医学-皮肤病学

CiteScore

4.40

自引率

7.70%

发文量

审稿时长

6-12 weeks

期刊介绍： The journal is a forum for new information about the direct and distant effects of electromagnetic radiation (ultraviolet, visible and infrared) mediated through skin. The divisions of the editorial board reflect areas of specific interest: aging, carcinogenesis, immunology, instrumentation and optics, lasers, photodynamic therapy, photosensitivity, pigmentation and therapy. Photodermatology, Photoimmunology & Photomedicine includes original articles, reviews, communications and editorials. Original articles may include the investigation of experimental or pathological processes in humans or animals in vivo or the investigation of radiation effects in cells or tissues in vitro. Methodology need have no limitation; rather, it should be appropriate to the question addressed.