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Orthognathic surgery: is patient information on the Internet valid?
T Aldairy1, S Laverick, G T McIntyre
1Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Department, Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, UK.
European Journal of Orthodontics
|April 5, 2011
Summary
UK websites offering orthognathic and jaw surgery information often lack quality and reliability. Patients should seek validated sources, as many sites require improvement and regular updates for accuracy.
Area of Science:
- Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
- Health Informatics
- Patient Education
Background:
- The internet is a primary source of health information for patients.
- Orthognathic and jaw surgery patients require reliable information for informed decision-making.
- The quality of online health information can vary significantly.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the quality and reliability of UK-based websites detailing orthognathic and jaw surgery.
- To identify areas for improvement in online patient resources for these procedures.
Main Methods:
- A systematic search of Google identified 100 websites for orthognathic and jaw surgery.
- 25 relevant websites were evaluated using the DISCERN instrument.
- The DISCERN instrument assesses information reliability and quality through 16 scored questions.
Main Results:
- Most evaluated websites scored poorly, falling significantly below the maximum DISCERN score of 80.
- The highest score achieved was 64 (Wikipedia), and the lowest was 21 (qualitydentistry.com).
- Significant improvements are needed in the quality of online orthognathic and jaw surgery information.
Conclusions:
- Clinicians should guide patients toward validated online resources for orthognathic and jaw surgery.
- Further development and regular updates of orthognathic surgery websites are essential.
- Ensuring accurate and up-to-date online information supports improved patient understanding and care.
