Appraisal of Spanish-language online patient education resources for kidney stones

The internet is a primary source of health information, our study addresses the need to assess the credibility, readability, and reliability of Spanish-language medical websites concerning nephrolithiasis. With the Spanish-speaking population in the United States rapidly approaching 20% and growing, our research endeavors to fill a critical gap by evaluating the quality of online resources in Spanish for this common medical condition.

In our study, we evaluated the quality of Spanish-language online resources on nephrolithiasis for the growing Spanish-speaking population in the United States. Using Google searches with terms like "cálculos renales" and "nefrolitiasis," we analyzed 80 unique websites using Fernandez-Huerta readability software, HON-code certification, JAMA benchmark criteria, source classification, and brief DISCERN. The evaluation was performed by an expert urologist and a medical student, with discrepancies resolved by a third experienced reviewer.

Interrater reliability was strong for JAMA (ICC: 0.98) and DISCERN (ICC: 0.85). Websites mainly originated from Physician/Community Hospitals (43.75%) and University/Academic institutions (23.75%). Only 32.5% had HON-code certification, and 17.5% met all JAMA criteria. Readability typically matched an 8th to 9th grade level, but 58.75% scored below the good quality threshold on DISCERN, with University/Academic sources performing significantly better than Physician/Community sources (p = 0.0078). No significant differences were noted in credibility or readability between these groups.

Our findings indicate that Spanish-language resources on nephrolithiasis often lack in quality, readability, and credibility, highlighting the need for enhanced online materials to support patient and provider management of kidney stones. University sources provide notably higher-quality information than other resource types.