Online Health Education About Sialendoscopy: A Study on Readability and Reliability

Sialendoscopy is a diagnostic and interventional treatment for patients with salivary disease. Patients and physicians leverage website information to acquire knowledge about sialendoscopy; thus, understanding the quality of this information is essential. This study analyzes the quality and readability of online information on sialendoscopy.

"Sialendoscopy" was searched on Google, and the first 100 websites were evaluated. Each website was required to meet three criteria for inclusion: accessible when opened, content deemed relevant, and available in written format. Four validated readability and two validated reliability metrics were utilized. Additionally, a separate analysis was conducted for the top nine websites in the search engine, given most web traffic occurs on Google's first page.

In assessing readability, the mean Flesch Reading Ease Score for included and the top nine websites was 36.2 and 39.5, respectively, with a P-value of .543. Both scores aligned with the "difficult to read" category. Other readability metrics aligned with high school reading levels. For reliability, the mean Discern score for the included and the top nine websites was 36.9 and 45.0, respectively, with a P-value of .030. These scores aligned with the "poor" and "fair" categories, respectively.

The low readability and reliability scores implied that the online health information on sialendoscopy is not easily understandable at a reading level appropriate for the general public. Our findings showed that the most readable and highest quality websites were not the highest ranked in our search results. Factors such as search engine algorithms and complex medical terminology used in these informative websites contribute to the lack of readability and relability of online health education.

As AI evolves, future studies should be conducted to assess its impact on readability and reliability of online health information. There is an opportunity to adjust search engine algorithms, collaborate with communications specialists, and utilize new technologies, such as artificial intelligence chatbots, for the benefit of health seekers.