Quality and Readability Analysis of Ejaculatory Dysfunction Online Resources

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Digital Health
• Health Communication

Background:

• Ejaculatory dysfunction (EjD) is a common sexual disorder often underreported due to patient embarrassment.
• Individuals increasingly rely on internet searches for sexual health information, necessitating evaluation of online resource quality.
• Variability in online content quality requires rigorous assessment of reliability and accessibility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically evaluate the quality and readability of online health information for various ejaculatory dysfunctions (EjD).
• To assess the credibility and health information quality of websites found through common EjD search terms.
• To analyze the accessibility of online EjD resources for patient understanding.

Main Methods:

• Systematic analysis of top 100 Google search results for 7 EjD terms (PE, DE, RE, anejaculation, painful ejaculation, anorgasmia, hematospermia).
• Inclusion/exclusion criteria applied, followed by independent evaluation by two urologists using JAMA benchmark criteria, DISCERN instrument, and readability metrics (FRE, Gunning Fog, SMOG).

Main Results:

• Commercial entities dominated online EjD information (64.1%).
• DISCERN ratings were "fair" for PE, DE, RE, anorgasmia, and "poor" for anejaculation, painful ejaculation, hematospermia.
• Mean JAMA benchmark score was 2.0 (disclosure highest domain); Flesch Reading Ease scores indicated "difficult" readability, akin to college-level proficiency.

Conclusions:

• Online resources for EjD present significant readability limitations, impacting their utility as patient education tools.
• There is a critical need for standardized quality control measures to monitor and manage online health information on sexual dysfunctions.
• Improving the quality and accessibility of online EjD information is essential for effective patient support and education.