Patient-centered online health information on diverticulitis: Assessing the readability, content, and overall quality

This study assessed the quality, content, and readability of patient-centered online health information about diverticulitis.

Five common diverticulitis-related terms were searched on Google. The first 50 websites for each term were reviewed. Popularity, quality, core content, and readability were evaluated using Google Trends, the DISCERN instrument, core content domains based on American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons patient education, and an online readability calculator.

Of 250 search results, 176 met inclusion criteria, yielding 98 unique websites. The median total DISCERN score was 48.5 ("fair"), and only 5.1% of websites were rated excellent. 73.5% exceeded the recommended eighth-grade reading level. More than 85% lacked information on recurrence risk or emerging research, and approximately 40% failed to describe diagnostic testing.

Online health information on diverticulitis demonstrates considerable variability in content, quality and readability. To better support patient-centered care and informed decision-making, the development of accessible, high-quality online resources should be prioritized.