Web-based information on intraoperative neuromonitoring in thyroid surgery

Area of Science:

• Medical Informatics
• Web Science
• Surgical Monitoring

Background:

• Preliminary analysis of online resources for intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) relevant to thyroid surgery.
• Assesses public accessibility of IONM information for thyroid procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• Evaluate the quality and readability of publicly available websites on IONM in thyroid surgery.
• Determine the accessibility of complex medical information for the general public.

Main Methods:

• Searched Google, Yahoo, and Bing using specific keywords related to neuromonitoring and thyroid/neck surgery.
• Evaluated the first 50 results for content quality (DISCERN) and readability (Flesch scores).

Main Results:

• Most results (64%) were scientific publications; 59% hosted in the USA.
• 58% of sites rated good/excellent, but readability scores (Flesch-Kincaid Grade 13.85) indicate high difficulty.
• 91% of content was in English, limiting accessibility for non-English speakers.

Conclusions:

• Online information regarding IONM for thyroid surgery is largely inaccessible to the general public.
• Content is overly technical and difficult to comprehend, necessitating improved public-facing resources.
• Enhancing website readability and language diversity is crucial for better public understanding of IONM in thyroid surgery.