The investigators aim in this study is to evaluate myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) related websites in terms of the quality and the readability of the information. Also, to identify the typologies of websites that provide high-quality information about MPS.
Introduction The reliability of information on the internet, which people use as an easy and practical solution about diseases, is very important for public health. The ivestigatior aim in this study to evaluate the quality and readability of websites related to myofascial pain syndrome. Methods On April 4, 2020, web sites were searched on the Google search engine by using the term "myofascial pain syndrome". The typologies, quality and readability parameters of the sites were analyzed. Websites were divided into eight categories according to typology. In order to evaluate the quality, it is checked whether there is JAMA scoring system and HONcode certificate. Flesch-Kincaid grade and the Simple Measure of Gobbledygook was used to evaluate readability.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
151
There is no intervention in our study
Biruni University Faculty of Medicine
Istanbul, Turkey (Türkiye)
% of websites
Websites typologies were commercial (websites that sell or offer a product for profit), government (websites created, administered or regulated by an official government agency), health portal (websites that provide information about health issues), news (news and information created to provide newspaper or magazine websites), non-profit (charitable/supportive/educational websites that were not established for the purpose of profit-making), professional (websites created by organizations or individuals with professional medical qualifications), scientific journal (accessible scientific articles or academic publications). Websites that do not fit any typology were categorized under the heading of others.
Time frame: One day
Readability Scores
The investigators used an online tool to assess the Flesch-Kincaid Grade. The "FKG Level Formula" presents a score as a US grade level, thereby making it easier for teachers, parents, librarians, and others to judge the readability level of various books and texts. The FKG evaluates the average sentence length and average syllables per word in the calculation of readability score The investigators used an online tool to assess the Flesch-Kincaid Grade (FKG) scores of websites (https://www.webfx.com/tools/read-able/). The "FKG Level Formula" presents a score as a US grade level, thereby making it easier for teachers, parents, librarians, and others to judge the readability level of various books and texts. The FKG evaluates the average sentence length and average syllables per word in the calculation of readability score
Time frame: One day
Readability Scores
The investigators used an online tool to assess the Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) scores of websites (https://www.webfx.com/tools/read-able/). The SMOG grade is a measure of readability that estimates the years of education needed to understand a piece of writing. In addition to parameters in the FKG scoring system, the SMOG grade evaluates the number of polysyllabic words in 30 sentences. The SMOG is widely used, particularly for checking health-related texts. The SMOG readability formula consists of a readability equation based on average sentence length and 3 or more syllable word ratio variables
Time frame: One day
This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.
Quality Scores
It consists of four parts; 1. Authorship; In this section, the authors, contributors and their identity information and the institutions they are affiliated with must be specified. 2. Bibliography; All sources and references must be listed; copyright must be specified. 3. Patent right; The "ownership" of the website must be clearly and fully disclosed, with sponsorship, advertising, insurance, business support and potential conflicts of interest. 4. Actuality; The date when the content was published and updated must be specified. Evaluations were made by giving 1 point to each item meeting these criteria. The lowest score that can be obtained in the JAMA criteria is "0" and the highest score is 4. A website with ≥3 points is considered as high quality, whereas ≤2 is considered as low quality. Two independent investigators (FB and OVY) evaluated JAMA scores.
Time frame: One day
Reliability sertification
The Health on the Net Foundation (HON), established to promote the online delivery of useful and reliable health information and to ensure its convenient and efficient use, has prepared HONcode to help standardize the reliability of health information available on the web. HONcode criteria; authors' competencies should be stated, patient-physician should complete the relationship, the privacy policy should be explained, the source and date of the content should be explained, the content should be compared, the contact information should be explained, the financing of the site should be explained, and the advertisement policy should be explained. HON issues the HONcode compliance certificate to the evaluated websites. If HONcode is available on the website, that website can be considered a high quality website.
Time frame: One day