Evaluating the Readability, Accessibility, and Quality of Online Health Information on Opioid Use Disorder: A Comparative Analysis of Government and Non-Government Websites
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Fatema Z Ahmed1, Alice Noblin1, Kendall Courtelyou1
1School of Global Health Management & Informatics, University of Central Florida.
Background:
The opioid crisis in the US remains a critical public health issue. Accessible, high-quality online health information is vital for educating the public about opioid use disorder (OUD) and available treatment options. This study aims to evaluate and compare the readability, accessibility, and quality of OUD-related information on government and non-government websites to identify areas for improvement.
Methods:
A total of 30 websites, 21 government-operated and 9 non-governmental, were selected through a systematic search. Readability was assessed using Gunning Fog, Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG), and Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES) tests. Accessibility was evaluated using the WAVE tool, which checks for errors and adherence to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). Quality was measured using the DISCERN Instrument, a standardized tool for evaluating the quality of health information. Data were analyzed for statistical differences between government and non-government websites.
Results:
The average readability grade level across all websites was 14.63 and average FRES score was 31.63, indicating content requiring advanced reading skills, with no significant difference between government and non-government websites. Accessibility issues were more prevalent on non-government websites. Government websites scored significantly lower in terms of quality, with 80.95% of them rated as "poor" or "very poor" compared with 22.22% of non-government websites. The overall quality scores for both groups remained suboptimal, with an average DISCERN score of 39.52 out of 80.
Conclusions:
The findings highlight a critical need for improvements in the readability, accessibility, and quality of online health information on OUD. Government websites, in particular, require enhancements to ensure they meet the public's need for reliable, accessible, and comprehensible health resources.
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