ArticlePlastic and reconstructive surgery. Global open2022
Readability and Quality Assessment of Online Materials for Syndactyly Release.
Article in Plastic and reconstructive surgery. Global open, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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.
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.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed, 3 citations in OpenAlex.
- Evaluation of ChatGPT as a Source of Patient-Oriented Information on Gingival Recession.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Readability of Online Patient Education Materials for Congenital Hand Differences.Hand (New York, N.Y.) · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Syndactyly is one of the most common congenital hand malformations, involving an abnormal fusion of digits and with treatment varying according to its complexity. The internet has become a primary source of information for both families and patients with congenital hand anomalies. The purpose of this study was to evaluate both the readability and quality of available web content for syndactyly, using validated instruments.
methodsTwo independent reviewers conducted searches for "Syndactyly" using three of the largest online search engines: Bing, Google, and Yahoo. The top 10 websites for each search engine, along with any webpage within one click of the parent website, were analyzed. Readability was assessed using seven established quantitative tests. The quality of the web pages was analyzed using the Discern questionnaire and handbook.
resultsA total of 15 websites were included in the analysis. The average readability of all websites was equivalent to comprehension at a grade 11.3 level. The average Flesch reading ease score was 49.3 out of 100, which is considered difficult to read. Quality was assessed using Discern, a brief questionnaire consisting of 16 questions with five points attributed per question. The mean quality score using Discern was 33.3 points out of a maximum of 80 points.
conclusionsOnline materials pertaining to the treatment of syndactyly far exceed the recommended sixth-grade reading level, and lack in terms of quality and comprehensiveness of information. Health care professionals should be cognizant of the paucity of available online information and provide patients with more appropriate resources.
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.