Individuals Frequently Search Google With Questions About the Management of Meniscal Tears and the Indications for and Technical Details of Surgery but the Quality of the Information Is Suboptimal

Q3 Medicine

Arthroscopy Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Pub Date : 2025-04-01 DOI:10.1016/j.asmr.2024.101061

Jonathan Spaan M.S. , John Streepy M.S. , Alexander Hodakowski M.D. , Amelia Hummel M.D. , Colton Mowers B.S. , Sabrina Schundler B.S. , Johnathon R. McCormick M.D. , Jonathan Riboh M.D. , Dana Piasecki M.D. , Jorge Chahla M.D., Ph.D.

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Abstract

Purpose

To analyze the frequently asked questions that patients search online regarding meniscal tears and meniscal surgery and evaluate the quality of websites used to answer these common queries.

Methods

This study used Google’s People Also Ask function to extract the most common 300 questions and associated Web pages regarding meniscal tears and meniscal surgery. Questions on both meniscal tear and meniscal surgery were categorized using the Rothwell classification, and websites were evaluated with The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) criteria.

Results

The Rothwell classification of questions on meniscal tear/surgery was 54.0%/55% fact, 37.7%/30.0% policy, and 8.3%/15.0% value. The meniscal tear cohort asked significantly more questions related to policy (P = .047), whereas the meniscal surgery cohort asked significantly more questions about value (P = .011). Academic (31.7% and 27.3%), medical practice (23.0% and 25.3%), and single-surgeon (12.3% and 13.3%) websites were the most common types of sites encountered. The mean total JAMA score was 1.3 of 4, with journals (mean, 3.4) having the highest score. Single-surgeon practice (mean, 0.5) and legal (mean, 0) sites had the lowest JAMA scores. The most frequently encountered query in the meniscal tear cohort was “What are three signs of a meniscus tear in the knee?” In contrast, in the meniscal surgery cohort, it was a tie between “What is the fastest way to recover from meniscus surgery?” and “Should meniscus surgery be done over 65?”

Conclusions

The quality of online information related to meniscal tears and surgery is often suboptimal based on objective measures of value. Individuals frequently search for insights into indications, management, and technical details.

Clinical Relevance

Understanding common themes in online searches can provide valuable insights that could improve patient education. Surgeons can use this information to anticipate potential questions, establish appropriate patient expectations, and enhance informed decisions.

查看原文本刊更多论文

个人经常搜索谷歌，询问半月板撕裂的处理和手术的适应症和技术细节，但信息的质量是次优的

目的分析半月板撕裂和半月板手术患者在网上搜索的常见问题，并评价回答这些常见问题的网站的质量。方法本研究利用b谷歌的“People Also Ask”功能提取了关于半月板撕裂和半月板手术最常见的300个问题和相关网页。关于半月板撕裂和半月板手术的问题使用Rothwell分类法进行分类，并根据美国医学会杂志（JAMA）的标准对网站进行评估。结果半月板撕裂/手术问题的Rothwell分类为事实性54.0%/55%，政策性37.7%/30.0%，价值性8.3%/15.0%。半月板撕裂组询问了更多与政策相关的问题（P = 0.047），而半月板手术组询问了更多关于价值的问题（P = 0.011）。学术（31.7%和27.3%）、医疗实践（23.0%和25.3%）和单一外科医生（12.3%和13.3%）网站是最常见的网站类型。JAMA的平均总得分为1.3分（总分4分），其中期刊（平均3.4分）得分最高。单外科医生诊所（平均0.5）和法律诊所（平均0）的JAMA评分最低。在半月板撕裂队列中最常遇到的问题是“膝关节半月板撕裂的三个迹象是什么？”相比之下，在半月板手术队列中，“半月板手术恢复最快的方法是什么？”以及“半月板手术应该在65岁以上进行吗？”结论半月板撕裂和手术相关的在线信息质量往往是基于客观价值衡量的次优信息。个人经常搜索对适应症、管理和技术细节的见解。临床相关性了解在线搜索中的常见主题可以提供有价值的见解，可以改善患者教育。外科医生可以利用这些信息来预测潜在的问题，建立适当的患者期望，并加强明智的决策。

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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