Evaluating asthma websites using the Brief DISCERN instrument.

Area of Science:

• Medical Informatics
• Health Communication
• Pediatric Pulmonology

Background:

• The internet is a vital resource for health information for patients and families.
• Assessing the quality and readability of online health information is crucial for patient empowerment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the quality of sponsored and unsponsored asthma websites using the Brief DISCERN instrument.
• To determine the presence of the Health On the Net Code of Conduct (HONcode) logo as an indicator of quality.
• To assess the readability and reading ease of asthma website content.

Main Methods:

• Searched seven internet search engines for "asthma" websites.
• Evaluated 22 unique websites using the six-item Brief DISCERN instrument.
• Assessed website readability using Flesch-Kincaid grade level and Flesch reading ease.

Main Results:

• Approximately 68% of websites met a Brief DISCERN cutoff score of ≥16.
• Websites with the HONcode logo had significantly higher Brief DISCERN scores.
• The average reading grade level was 9.49, with a mean reading ease score of 53.57.

Conclusions:

• Quality asthma information is accessible online, with HONcode certification correlating with higher quality.
• The average reading grade level of asthma websites is high, potentially posing a barrier for consumers.
• Improving readability of online asthma resources can enhance patient and caregiver management of pediatric asthma.