Assessing the Quality and Readability of Web-Based Information on Otoplasty

Introduction: As health care-related internet use expands, parents and patients considering otoplasty frequently turn to online resources for further information to aid their decision making. Objective: In online resources related to otoplasty, what is the quality of the information and how readable is it based on standardized tests? Methods: A web search was performed on the three major search engines, using search terms related to otoplasty. The top 20 results from each search engine were selected. The DISCERN instrument was applied to assess the quality of health information, whereas the Flesch-Kincaid readability tests were used to assess readability. Results: The mean DISCERN score was 28.7 out of a possible score of 80 (poor quality) and commercial bias was common. The Flesch-Kincaid readability test results were significantly higher than the average reading level for adults in the United Kingdom. On the largest search engine, there was a correlation between search engine ranking and both readability and quality. Conclusion: Online patient information resources on otoplasty are generally of poor quality and difficult to read for the average patient.