Information about oral cancer on the Internet: our patients cannot understand it

Varela‐Centelles, Pablo; Ledesma-Ludi, Yanina; Seoane-Romero, Juan M.; Seoane, Juan

doi:10.1016/j.bjoms.2015.01.020

Cited by 24 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…A systematic review assessing their quality for health information consumers revealed that the texts, as evaluated by the Flesch index, required a high reading level on the part of the users (9). Varela-Centelles et al (8) identified most English-language websites with information on oral cancer as presenting a high level of intelligibility, which influences the level of understanding in people with low literacy. In this study, the Flesch Index revealed that the texts were suitable for users who have a high level of reading to understand the published information.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Patients and professionals have resorted to this tool for knowledge (6). Studies have shown that online information can contribute to the individual's awareness of oral health, improved prognosis and adherence to treatment, and the facilitation of professional-patient communication (7,8). On the other hand, several authors have warned of the difficulty in certifying whether the information published on the Internet is valid and reliable (7)(8)(9).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Studies have shown that online information can contribute to the individual's awareness of oral health, improved prognosis and adherence to treatment, and the facilitation of professional-patient communication (7,8). On the other hand, several authors have warned of the difficulty in certifying whether the information published on the Internet is valid and reliable (7)(8)(9). In terms of health content, this issue is especially worrying, since there is a risk to the segment of the population which is unaware of the existence of criteria used to identify the quality of information online (7).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Data on the quality of information about oral cancer on the Internet are scarce (4,5,8,11,12). Considering also that Brazil is one of the most populous countries of the world and with a high prevalence of oral cancer (1), it is surprising that there are no studies evaluating published content on this disease in the Portuguese language (Brazilian varieties).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Quality of information about oral cancer in Brazilian Portuguese available on Google, Youtube, and Instagram

Kk¹,

Ac²,

Pr³

et al. 2020

Med Oral

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Background: To evaluate the quality of oral cancer information in Brazilian Portuguese on Google, YouTube, and Instagram. Material and Methods: The first 100 links of each platform characterized the initial sample. The websites and Instagram were evaluated using the JAMA benchmarks, the Discern instrument, and the Flesch readability index (Flesch Reading Ease). The existence of Health on the Net (HON) code was also registered on websites. The usefulness of each video on YouTube was classified as not useful, slightly useful, moderately useful, or very useful. Results: Thirty-four websites, 39 Instagram posts, and 57 videos were evaluated, of which 18 (33.3%) websites and 19 (48.7%) Instagram posts covered only 2 of the 4 JAMA benchmarks. For the Discern instrument, 20 (37%) and 18 (33.3%) websites exhibited low and moderate reliability, respectively, while 26 (66.7%) Instagram posts were of low confidence. The level of intelligibility of both websites and Instagram was difficult. Only three websites exhibited the HONcode. Forty-one (71.9%) videos on YouTube were moderately useful. Conclusions: Information on oral cancer on the Internet in Brazilian Portuguese is of low quality. Thus, educational and governmental institutions have a responsibility to produce and indicate reliable sources of information for the population.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Quality of information about oral cancer in Brazilian Portuguese available on Google, Youtube, and Instagram

Kk¹,

Ac²,

Pr³

et al. 2020

Med Oral

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…With regard to readability, a study classified most Websites as "difficult to read." Thus, patients could not understand the information because a high percentage of people have low literacy (Varela-Centelles et al, 2015). The Health on the Net Foundation (HON) seal (HONcode) indicates the adherence to a code of conduct for medical and healthcare Web sites, certifying the source and quality of the information presented.…”

Section: Dear Editormentioning

confidence: 99%

Information on oral cancer available on the internet: Is it reliable?

et al. 2019

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Readability of Patient Education Materials in Head and Neck Cancer

Armache,

Assi,

et al. 2024

JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg

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ImportancePatient education materials (PEMs) can promote patient engagement, satisfaction, and treatment adherence. The American Medical Association recommends that PEMs be developed for a sixth-grade or lower reading level. Health literacy (HL) refers to an individual’s ability to seek, understand, and use health information to make appropriate decisions regarding their health. Patients with suboptimal HL may not be able to understand or act on health information and are at risk for adverse health outcomes.ObjectiveTo assess the readability of PEMs on head and neck cancer (HNC) and to evaluate HL among patients with HNC.Evidence ReviewA systematic review of the literature was performed by searching Cochrane, PubMed, and Scopus for peer-reviewed studies published from 1995 to 2024 using the keywords head and neck cancer, readability, health literacy, and related synonyms. Full-text studies in English that evaluated readability and/or HL measures were included. Readability assessments included the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL grade, 0-20, with higher grades indicating greater reading difficulty) and Flesch Reading Ease (FRE score, 1-100, with higher scores indicating easier readability), among others. Reviews, conference materials, opinion letters, and guidelines were excluded. Study quality was assessed using the Appraisal Tool for Cross-Sectional Studies.FindingsOf the 3235 studies identified, 17 studies assessing the readability of 1124 HNC PEMs produced by professional societies, hospitals, and others were included. The mean FKGL grade ranged from 8.8 to 14.8; none of the studies reported a mean FKGL of grade 6 or lower. Eight studies assessed HL and found inadequate HL prevalence ranging from 11.9% to 47.0%.Conclusions and RelevanceThese findings indicate that more than one-third of patients with HNC demonstrate inadequate HL, yet none of the PEMs assessed were developed for a sixth grade or lower reading level, as recommended by the American Medical Association. This incongruence highlights the need to address the readability of HNC PEMs to improve patient understanding of the disease and to mitigate potential barriers to shared decision-making for patients with HNC. It is crucial to acknowledge the responsibility of health care professionals to produce and promote more effective PEMs to dismantle the potentially preventable literacy barriers.

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Information about oral cancer on the Internet: our patients cannot understand it

Cited by 24 publications

References 8 publications

Quality of information about oral cancer in Brazilian Portuguese available on Google, Youtube, and Instagram

Quality of information about oral cancer in Brazilian Portuguese available on Google, Youtube, and Instagram

Information on oral cancer available on the internet: Is it reliable?

Readability of Patient Education Materials in Head and Neck Cancer

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