Internet Health Resources for Diabetic Foot Search: The Content, Quality, and Readability of Information on Web Sites.

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  • Author(s): Eren MB;Eren MB; Aytekin FY; Aytekin FY
  • Source:
    Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association [J Am Podiatr Med Assoc] 2024 Sep-Oct; Vol. 114 (5).
  • Publication Type:
    Journal Article
  • Language:
    English
  • Additional Information
    • Source:
      Publisher: American Podiatry Association Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 8501423 Publication Model: Print Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1930-8264 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 19308264 NLM ISO Abbreviation: J Am Podiatr Med Assoc Subsets: MEDLINE
    • Publication Information:
      Original Publication: [Washington, DC] : American Podiatry Association, [c1985-
    • Subject Terms:
      Diabetic Foot* ; Internet* ; Search Engine* ; Comprehension*; Humans ; Consumer Health Information
    • Abstract:
      Background: As the incidence of diabetes mellitus increases, the incidence of diabetic foot also increases. This situation, which may lead to devastating complications and progress to limb loss for patients, exposes patients and their social environments to a big crisis. Thus, patients may seek secondary opinions from online sources about information they initially obtained from health institutions. We aimed to evaluate the information content related to diabetic foot on the Internet that is probably used by patients for Internet searching.
      Methods: After software optimization and reset, related queries with the keyword diabetic foot were determined on Google Trends. Selected keywords were searched in three search engines, and the results were examined. Web sites were classified into five subcategories (nongovernmental health institution, governmental institution, academic, blog, and university) and evaluated with an information content scale (ICS) based on the literature, Journal of the American Medical Association benchmark criteria, the Flesch-Kincaid readability test, and presence of the Health On the Net Foundation Code of Conduct certificate. The search engines, keywords, and Web site subcategories were investigated with the evaluation criteria.
      Results: In terms of finding Web sites eligible for assessment, the Google search engine listed more eligible Web sites than did Bing and Yahoo. Concerning the ICS, there was no significant difference between search engines for total scores (P > .05). Concerning ICS diagnosis and evaluation and ICS total score, academic Web sites scored significantly higher than other subcategories.
      Conclusions: Results that can be obtained with an Internet search for diabetic foot depend on the proper keyword selection, Web site type, and search engine to help patients reach more appropriate content.
    • Publication Date:
      Date Created: 20241115 Date Completed: 20241116 Latest Revision: 20241116
    • Publication Date:
      20241118
    • Accession Number:
      10.7547/21-155
    • Accession Number:
      39546364