Evaluation of Top-Ranked Search Engine Web-Based Osteoporosis Materials

Area of Science:

• Health Literacy
• Medical Information Quality
• Digital Health Communication

Background:

• Online health information quality varies significantly.
• Assessing the suitability of health information is critical for patient comprehension.
• Osteoporosis information accessibility impacts patient self-management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the health literacy and information quality of online osteoporosis resources.
• To apply the Suitability Assessment of Materials (SAM) method to assess web content.
• To identify areas for improvement in online osteoporosis health information.

Main Methods:

• Searched Google, Bing, and Yahoo using "osteoporosis" and "weak bones".
• Selected 5 unique websites per search term (10 total) found across all engines.
• Utilized the Suitability Assessment of Materials (SAM) scale, with scores averaged across four researchers.

Main Results:

• Osteoporosis websites averaged a 10.2 reading grade level, exceeding the 7th-grade national average.
• Sixty percent of "osteoporosis" sites were rated "superior" or "adequate" by SAM, while "weak bones" sites had 80% adequate.
• Most websites lacked summaries (80%) and sufficient graphics (60% had graphics, only one superior).

Conclusions:

• Online osteoporosis information is often written at a reading level too high for the general population.
• Key elements like summaries and graphics, crucial for comprehension, are frequently missing.
• Websites need simplification, reduced reading grade level, and enhanced visual aids to improve user understanding of osteoporosis.