Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34931532›Full record

SynthesisAnnals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England2022

Inguinal hernia repair: a systematic analysis of online patient information using the Modified Ensuring Quality Information for Patients tool.

S Chien, D Cunningham, K S Khan

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–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

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Online information on bowel resection for Crohn's disease.Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England · 2026
    Pooled it
  2. Trial
  3. Article
  4. Article
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

3 authors.

S ChienDepartment of General Surgery, Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Glasgow, UK.
D CunninghamDepartment of General Surgery, Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Glasgow, UK.
K S KhanDepartment of General Surgery, Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Glasgow, UK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundOnline resources are a fundamental source of healthcare information due to the increasing popularity of the internet. Ensuring accuracy and reliability of websites is crucial to improving patient education and enhancing patient outcomes. Inguinal hernia repair is the most commonly performed general surgical procedure worldwide. This study analyses the quality of online patient information about inguinal hernia repair using the Modified Ensuring Quality Information for Patients (EQIP) tool.

methodsA systematic review of online information on inguinal hernia repair was conducted using four search terms: 'inguinal hernia', 'groin hernia', 'inguinal hernia repair' and 'inguinoscrotal hernia'. The top 100 websites for each term identified using Google were assessed using the modified EQIP tool (score 0-36). Websites for the paediatric population or intended for medical professional use were excluded from analysis.

findingsA total of 142 websites were eligible for analysis, 52.8% originating from the UK. The median EQIP score for all websites was 17/36 (interquartile range 14-21). The median EQIP scores for content, identification and structure were 8/18, 2/8 and 8/12, respectively. Complications of inguinal hernia repair were included in 46.5% of websites, with only 9.2% providing complication rates and 14.1% providing information on how complications are handled.

conclusionThis study highlights that the current quality of online patient information on inguinal hernia repair is poor, with minimal information available on complications, hindering patients' ability to make informed decisions regarding their healthcare. To improve patient education, there is an immediate need for improved quality online resources to meet international standards.

Indexed as

Hernia, InguinalChildHerniorrhaphyHumansReproducibility of ResultsEQIPInguinal hernia repairModified Ensuring Quality Information for PatientsPatient information

Identifiers

PMID34931532
PMCPMC10335228

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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Registered trials

None linked

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.