Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32333571›Full record

ArticleJournal of vestibular research : equilibrium & orientation2020

Quality and readability of English-language Internet information for vestibular disorders.

Lilian Felipe, Eldré W Beukes, Baylie A Fox, Vinaya Manchaiah

Abstract readEvaluation Study
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of vestibular research : equilibrium & orientation, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Lilian FelipeDepartment of Speech and Hearing Sciences, Lamar University, Beaumont, TX, USA.
Eldré W BeukesDepartment of Speech and Hearing Sciences, Lamar University, Beaumont, TX, USA.
Baylie A FoxDepartment of Speech and Hearing Sciences, Lamar University, Beaumont, TX, USA.
Vinaya ManchaiahDepartment of Speech and Hearing Sciences, Lamar University, Beaumont, TX, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe Internet has become a powerful, accessible resource for many patients to use for their own medical management and knowledge. Vestibular disorders are prevalent, especially in the elderly. As the Internet is increasingly a major source of health-related information to the general public, it is often used to search for information regarding dizziness and vertigo. Ensuring that the information is accessible, unbiased, and appropriate can aid informed decision-making.

objectiveTo evaluate the quality and readability of English-language Internet information related to vestibular disorders.

methodsA cross-sectional website search using three keywords (nausea, dizziness, and vertigo) in five country-specific versions of the most commonly used Internet search engine was conducted in March 2018. The language was limited to English for all websites. Quality was assessed by presence of Health on the Net (HON) certification and DISCERN scores. Readability was assessed using the Flesch Reading Ease (FRE) score, Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level Formula (F-KGL), and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG).

resultsIn total, 112 websites were included and analyzed. The majority were commercial (61%) websites. A total of 42% had obtained HON certification. No association was found between the presence of HON certification and the resource of the website. The DISCERN scores had a mean of 2.52 (SD 1.1). Readability measures indicated that an average of 14-18 years of education was required to read and understand the Internet information provided regarding vestibular disorders.

conclusionsTo ensure the accessible to the general population, it is necessary to improve the quality and readability of Internet-based information regarding vestibular disorders.

Indexed as

ComprehensionLanguageCross-Sectional StudiesHumansInternetVestibular Diseaseshealth information qualityhealth information readabilityinternet health informationVestibular disorders

Identifiers

PMID32333571
PMCPMC9249283

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.