Patient-Centred Web-Based Information on Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Quality and Readability.

IF 2.9 3区医学 Q1 DENTISTRY, ORAL SURGERY & MEDICINE

Oral diseases Pub Date : 2025-09-18 DOI:10.1111/odi.70098

Briana Jansen, Stella Mullane, Bryan Tan, Bobby Joseph, Mohammed Junaid, Ramesh Balasubramaniam, Agnieszka Frydrych, Omar Kujan

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Introduction: The internet is a widely used source of health information for patients with head and neck cancer. However, the quality and readability of online content remain inconsistent. This study evaluated the usefulness of web-based resources by assessing their quality and readability.

Methods: Searches were conducted using Google, Bing, and Yahoo! with nine common anatomical terms related to head and neck cancer. The first 50 results from each search engine were screened, and eligible websites were evaluated for quality using the DISCERN instrument by three independent reviewers. Readability was assessed using the Flesch-Kincaid Reading Grade Level (FKRGL) and the Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES). Descriptive and inferential statistics were applied.

Results: A total of 285 websites met the inclusion criteria. Of these, 46% were rated as poor quality (DISCERN score = 1). The median FKRGL was 8.6, and the median FRES was 55.7, both indicating reading levels above recommended thresholds for patient education materials.

Conclusions: Online information for patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma is often of low quality and too complex for the average reader. Improved, accessible, and reliable web-based resources are needed to support patient understanding and informed healthcare decisions.

查看原文本刊更多论文

以患者为中心的头颈部鳞状细胞癌的网络信息：质量和可读性。

互联网是头颈癌患者广泛使用的健康信息来源。然而，在线内容的质量和可读性仍然不一致。本研究通过评估网络资源的质量和可读性来评估其有用性。方法：使用bb0、Bing和Yahoo！与头颈癌相关的九个常见解剖学术语。筛选来自每个搜索引擎的前50个结果，并由三名独立评论者使用DISCERN工具评估符合条件的网站的质量。采用Flesch- kincaid阅读等级水平（FKRGL）和Flesch阅读易用性评分（FRES）评估可读性。采用描述性统计和推理统计。结果：共有285个网站符合纳入标准。其中，46%被评为质量差（DISCERN得分= 1）。FKRGL的中位数为8.6，FRES的中位数为55.7，两者都表明阅读水平高于患者教育材料的推荐阈值。结论：对于一般读者来说，头颈部鳞状细胞癌患者的在线信息通常质量较低且过于复杂。需要改进的、可访问的和可靠的基于web的资源来支持患者理解和知情的医疗保健决策。

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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来源期刊

Oral diseases 医学-牙科与口腔外科

CiteScore

7.60

自引率

5.30%

发文量

325

审稿时长

4-8 weeks

期刊介绍： Oral Diseases is a multidisciplinary and international journal with a focus on head and neck disorders, edited by leaders in the field, Professor Giovanni Lodi (Editor-in-Chief, Milan, Italy), Professor Stefano Petti (Deputy Editor, Rome, Italy) and Associate Professor Gulshan Sunavala-Dossabhoy (Deputy Editor, Shreveport, LA, USA). The journal is pre-eminent in oral medicine. Oral Diseases specifically strives to link often-isolated areas of dentistry and medicine through broad-based scholarship that includes well-designed and controlled clinical research, analytical epidemiology, and the translation of basic science in pre-clinical studies. The journal typically publishes articles relevant to many related medical specialties including especially dermatology, gastroenterology, hematology, immunology, infectious diseases, neuropsychiatry, oncology and otolaryngology. The essential requirement is that all submitted research is hypothesis-driven, with significant positive and negative results both welcomed. Equal publication emphasis is placed on etiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, prevention and treatment.