A cross-language analysis of urolithiasis patient online materials: Assessment across 24 European languages

Urolithiasis is a prevalent condition with several etiological factors, affecting up to 20% of the population and exhibiting high recurrence rates. Its strain on healthcare systems, exacerbated by high incidence and recurrence, often results in insufficient time for thorough diagnostics and counselling. Consequently, many patients seek easily accessible online sources of information. This study aimed to assess the readability and availability of online urolithiasis materials across 24 official European languages to compare readability across different source types.

The phrase "kidney stones" was translated into all official European languages, and the first 50 search results for each language were retrieved. Non-functional websites, those requiring accounts or payments, and duplicates were excluded. Relevance was assessed using Google Translate to filter out results lacking medical information. Only patient-oriented materials were included for analysis. Obtained results were then classified by source category, and their readability was assessed using LIX formula.

A total of 723 articles were analysed. The English term yielded the highest number of results, followed by Spanish and Portuguese. Overall, the English articles performed best, being the only language with a mean LIX score below 40, which marks the threshold between "somewhat hard" and "hard" to read. Finnish, Lithuanian, and Hungarian materials had LIX scores significantly exceeding the threshold of 50, classifying them as "very hard to read" and among the most difficult to comprehend.A subgroup analysis revealed no statistically significant differences across the source classification.

Online materials on kidney stones are generally too complex for patients, limiting their understanding and treatment adherence. Simplification of patient-oriented materials along with artificial intelligence utilisation could enhance comprehension. Improved awareness may promote adherence to preventive measures and help reduce the incidence and economic burden of urolithiasis.