Assessing online patient education materials for major lower extremity amputation

Area of Science:

• Vascular Surgery
• Patient Education
• Health Informatics

Background:

• Major lower extremity amputation (LEA) due to vascular disease presents a significant health burden.
• Effective patient education is vital for managing this condition and supporting shared decision-making.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the readability, quality, transparency, and clinical content of online patient education materials for major LEA caused by vascular disease.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive audit of online resources was performed, searching 8 terms related to LEA.
• Readability was assessed using 5 validated tools, and quality was evaluated using JAMA and DISCERN criteria.
• Key clinical content elements were analyzed for completeness.

Main Results:

• The 58 included websites had mean readability scores exceeding the recommended sixth-grade level.
• Quality scores were generally fair, with low reporting of authorship, attribution, and disclosure.
• Coverage of essential clinical information, such as alternative procedures and surgical risks, was limited.

Conclusions:

• Online patient education materials for major LEA often exhibit poor readability and quality, lacking crucial clinical details.
• There is an immediate need for the development of high-quality, easily understandable resources to aid patient education and shared decision-making.