[Temporomandibular disorders: quality assessment of patient information on the world wide web]

Assessing of the methodological and medical-scientific quality of the German information on temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) provided then the World Wide Web (WWW).

The investigation was carried out with selected search machines (subject and index catalogues) as well as health portals. The search strategy involved the option "simple search" and the keyword "Kiefergelenk" ("temporomandibular joint"). The methodological quality was assessed using the DISCERN instrument. To assess the medical-scientific quality, a brief questionnaire based on comparisons with the current state of the scientific literature on TMDs was used.

Twenty-seven of the 47 identified websites are longer than half a printed page (1/2 p). The methodological quality of all websites ranges between "low" and "moderate"; it is higher for information > 1/2 p. There is no clear relationship between methodological (DISCERN) and medical-scientific quality. For example, only five of seven websites with acceptable medical-scientific quality reach a moderate methodological quality, whereas the remaining two of these publications have a low methodological quality.

There is a discrepancy between quantity and quality of the available information on TMDs. In general, there is a lack of evidence-based high-quality information for patients seeking information related to TMDs in the WWW. The available data suggests that TMD patients are not constantly provided with information regarding to the latest developments in research. Therefore, measures to improve the quality of care of these patients are necessary.