Abstract
The Internet has become a major source of health information for the public. However,
there are concerns regarding the quality, accuracy, and currency of medical information
available online. We assessed the quality of information about anterior cruciate ligament
(ACL) reconstruction on the first 60 websites returned by the 4 most popular search
engines. Each site was categorized by type and assessed for quality and validity using
the DISCERN score, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmark
criteria, and a novel ACL reconstruction–specific content score. The presence of the
Health On the Net Code (HONcode), a purported quality assurance marker, was noted.
The quality of information on ACL reconstruction available online is variable, with
many websites omitting basic information regarding treatment options, risks, and prognosis.
Commercial websites predominate. Academic and allied health professional websites
attained the highest DISCERN and JAMA benchmark scores, whereas physician sites achieved
the highest content scores. Sites that bore the HONcode seal obtained higher DISCERN
and ACL reconstruction content scores than those without this certification. The HONcode
seal is a reliable indicator of website quality, and we can confidently advise our
patients to search for this marker.
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: April 11, 2013
Accepted:
February 1,
2013
Received:
November 6,
2012
Footnotes
The authors report that they have no conflicts of interest in the authorship and publication of this article.
Identification
Copyright
© 2013 Arthroscopy Association of North America. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
ScienceDirect
Access this article on ScienceDirectLinked Article
- Evaluation of Information Available on the Internet Regarding Anterior Cruciate Ligament ReconstructionArthroscopyVol. 29Issue 6
- PreviewSearching the Internet is one of the most popular methods for acquiring information related to health. The Internet offers physicians and patients easy access to a wide range of medical material from anywhere in the world. For many patients, this information helps formulate decisions related to their health and health care. An important caveat is that virtually anything can be published on the Internet. Although academic publications require rigorous peer review, Internet websites have no regulatory body monitoring quality and content.
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