Quality and readability of internet-based information on halitosis

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Internet-Based Health Information Quality
• Oral Health

Background:

• The internet is a primary source for health information.
• Assessing the quality of online halitosis information is crucial for patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the quality and readability of internet-based information on halitosis.
• To identify key areas for improvement in online health content.

Main Methods:

• Conducted internet searches using multiple terms for halitosis.
• Screened the first 50 websites per search term across three search engines.
• Evaluated websites using established quality criteria (HON, JAMA, DISCERN, EQIP) and readability scores (FRE).

Main Results:

• 101 websites were analyzed, showing generally low scores for quality and readability.
• Less than 50% of sites met JAMA benchmarks for attribution, disclosure, and currency.
• Higher quality scores correlated with the presence of the Health on the Net (HON) seal.

Conclusions:

• Internet-based resources on halitosis are often of low quality and poorly organized.
• Clinicians play a vital role in guiding patients to reliable information on oral malodor.
• Improvements in website transparency and content organization are needed.