Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42120208›Full record

ArticleAmerican journal of surgery2026

Patient-centered online health information on diverticulitis: Assessing the readability, content, and overall quality.

Benjamin Gallant, Andrew Hu, Kaitlyn Oldewurtel, Catherine Beauharnais, Tess Aulet, Thomas Peponis, Paul Sturrock, Justin Maykel, Karim Alavi

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in American journal of surgery, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing 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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

9 authors.

Benjamin GallantUniversity of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center, Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery, 67 Belmont Street, Suite 201, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA. Electronic address: benjamin.gallant@umassmed.edu.
Andrew HuUniversity of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center, Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery, 67 Belmont Street, Suite 201, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA. Electronic address: Andrew.hu3@umassmed.edu.
Kaitlyn OldewurtelUniversity of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center, Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery, 67 Belmont Street, Suite 201, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA. Electronic address: kaitlynoldewurtel@gmail.com.
Catherine BeauharnaisUniversity of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center, Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery, 67 Belmont Street, Suite 201, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA. Electronic address: beauh002@umn.edu.
Tess AuletUniversity of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center, Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery, 67 Belmont Street, Suite 201, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA. Electronic address: tess.aulet@umassmemorial.org.
Thomas PeponisUniversity of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center, Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery, 67 Belmont Street, Suite 201, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA. Electronic address: thomas.peponis@umassmemorial.org.
Paul SturrockUniversity of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center, Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery, 67 Belmont Street, Suite 201, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA. Electronic address: paul.sturrock3@umassmemorial.org.
Justin MaykelUniversity of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center, Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery, 67 Belmont Street, Suite 201, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA. Electronic address: justin.maykel@umassmemorial.org.
Karim AlaviUniversity of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center, Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery, 67 Belmont Street, Suite 201, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA. Electronic address: karim.alavi@umassmemorial.org.

Funding

University of Massachusetts Center for Clinical Science and Translational SupplementUL1TR001453 · NCATS · UNIV OF MASSACHUSETTS MED SCH WORCESTER · PI LUZURIAGA, KATHERINE F · 2015 to 2024
$39.0M
NCATS NIH HHS UL1 TR001453
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThis study assessed the quality, content, and readability of patient-centered online health information about diverticulitis.

methodsFive common diverticulitis-related terms were searched on Google. The first 50 websites for each term were reviewed. Popularity, quality, core content, and readability were evaluated using Google Trends, the DISCERN instrument, core content domains based on American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons patient education, and an online readability calculator.

resultsOf 250 search results, 176 met inclusion criteria, yielding 98 unique websites. The median total DISCERN score was 48.5 ("fair"), and only 5.1% of websites were rated excellent. 73.5% exceeded the recommended eighth-grade reading level. More than 85% lacked information on recurrence risk or emerging research, and approximately 40% failed to describe diagnostic testing.

conclusionsOnline health information on diverticulitis demonstrates considerable variability in content, quality and readability. To better support patient-centered care and informed decision-making, the development of accessible, high-quality online resources should be prioritized.

Indexed as

ComprehensionConsumer Health InformationDiverticulitisInternetPatient-Centered CarePatient Education as TopicHealth LiteracyHumansDISCERNDiverticulitisOnlineQualityReadability

Identifiers

PMID42120208
PMCPMC13197190

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

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.