Patient-centered web-based information on oral lichen planus: Quality and readability

Area of Science:

• Oral medicine
• Health informatics
• Patient education

Background:

• Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic inflammatory condition affecting oral mucosa.
• Patients increasingly rely on web-based resources for health information.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the quality and readability of online patient information for oral lichen planus (OLP).

Main Methods:

• Searched Google, Bing, and Yahoo! for 'oral lichen planus' websites.
• Assessed 28 websites for content quality using the DISCERN instrument.
• Measured readability using Flesch-Kinkaid Reading Grade Level (FKRGL) and Flesh Reading Ease Score (FRES).

Main Results:

• The median DISCERN score indicated significant quality shortcomings.
• Readability analysis revealed high reading difficulty (FKRGL: 11.13±2.90; FRES: 48.14±11.22).

Conclusions:

• Web-based OLP information has major quality deficits and is challenging to read.
• Further research is needed to develop and test patient-centered OLP resources.