Googling preterm prelabour rupture of the membranes: A systematic review of patient information available on the internet.
patient information
preterm birth
preterm prelabour rupture of membranes
systematic review
Journal
BJOG : an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology
ISSN: 1471-0528
Titre abrégé: BJOG
Pays: England
ID NLM: 100935741
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
10 2023
10 2023
Historique:
revised:
17
03
2023
received:
09
11
2022
accepted:
24
03
2023
medline:
4
9
2023
pubmed:
20
4
2023
entrez:
20
04
2023
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
Preterm prelabour rupture of the membranes (PPROM) complicates 3% of pregnancies and is associated with an increased risk of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. In an attempt to better understand this diagnosis, patients routinely resort to the internet for medical information. The lack of governance online leaves patients at risk of relying on low-quality websites. To assess systematically the accuracy, quality, readability and credibility of World Wide Web pages on PPROM. Five search engines (Google, AOL, Yahoo, Ask and Bing) were searched with location services and browser history disabled. Websites from the first page of all searches were included. Websites were included if they provided at least 300 words of health information aimed at patients relating to PPROM. Validated assessments of health information readability, credibility and quality were undertaken, as was an accuracy assessment. Pertinent facts for accuracy assessment were based on feedback from healthcare professionals and patients through a survey. Characteristics were tabulated. In all, 39 websites were included, with 31 different texts. No pages were written with a reading age of 11 years or less, none were considered credible, and only three were high quality. An accuracy score of 50% or more was obtained by 45% of websites. Information that patients considered pertinent was not consistently reported. Search engines produce information on PPROM that is low quality, low accuracy and not credible. It is also difficult to read. This risks disempowerment. Healthcare professionals and researchers must consider how to ensure patients have access to information that they can recognise as high quality.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
Preterm prelabour rupture of the membranes (PPROM) complicates 3% of pregnancies and is associated with an increased risk of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. In an attempt to better understand this diagnosis, patients routinely resort to the internet for medical information. The lack of governance online leaves patients at risk of relying on low-quality websites.
OBJECTIVES
To assess systematically the accuracy, quality, readability and credibility of World Wide Web pages on PPROM.
SEARCH STRATEGY
Five search engines (Google, AOL, Yahoo, Ask and Bing) were searched with location services and browser history disabled. Websites from the first page of all searches were included.
SELECTION CRITERIA
Websites were included if they provided at least 300 words of health information aimed at patients relating to PPROM.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
Validated assessments of health information readability, credibility and quality were undertaken, as was an accuracy assessment. Pertinent facts for accuracy assessment were based on feedback from healthcare professionals and patients through a survey. Characteristics were tabulated.
MAIN RESULTS
In all, 39 websites were included, with 31 different texts. No pages were written with a reading age of 11 years or less, none were considered credible, and only three were high quality. An accuracy score of 50% or more was obtained by 45% of websites. Information that patients considered pertinent was not consistently reported.
CONCLUSIONS
Search engines produce information on PPROM that is low quality, low accuracy and not credible. It is also difficult to read. This risks disempowerment. Healthcare professionals and researchers must consider how to ensure patients have access to information that they can recognise as high quality.
Identifiants
pubmed: 37077130
doi: 10.1111/1471-0528.17498
doi:
Types de publication
Systematic Review
Journal Article
Review
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
1298-1305Informations de copyright
© 2023 The Authors. BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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