The quality and reliability of Turkish websites in Google containing information about amputation rehabilitation in the shadow of the earthquake disaster

Abstract

Aim: Health-related online information has become an important part of patient education. In this context, we aimed to examine the information content, readability, reliability, and quality levels of websites that provide online information about amputee rehabilitation. Methods: On April 1–7, 2023, all websites scanned by typing “amputee rehabilitation” into the Google search engine were examined. The websites are divided into two groups (group 1= hospitals, universities, health-related associations, and other official institutions; group 2= health professionals, news websites, and others) according to the creator of the websites. The information content was determined according to nine sub-topics in line with the online education programs of the Disaster Rehabilitation Working Group of the Turkish Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Association and the relevant literature. According to the readability formula of Ateşman and Bezirci-Yilmaz, reliability and quality assessments were made with the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) score, the DISCERN scale, the Global Quality Score (GQS), and the Physician’s Global Quality Score (PGQS). Results: 109 websites were scanned, and 20 websites were included in the study, 12 (60%) in group 1 and 8 (40%) in group 2. The median of information content was 2,3 (0–7), and none of the websites had full information content. The median of the Ateşman value is 41,1 (29,5–53,0), which is difficult to read; the Bezirci-Yilmaz value was readable at the undergraduate level with a median of 15,5 (9,4–21,6). The JAMA score was 0,8 (0-3) and almost all (95%) of the websites were found to be low reliable (JAMA score ≤ 2). The DISCERN score was of very poor quality, with a median of 23,55 (16–34). GQS was 1,95 (1-3), and PGQS was 1.7 (1-3) with low quality. There was no difference between the groups or between the first two pages and the remaining pages. Conclusion: Turkish websites providing information about amputee rehabilitation are very inadequate in terms of content, difficult to read, poor quality, and unreliable. Within the framework of these data, reliable and comprehensible online information on this subject should be provided with the necessary support of health-related public or private institutions and experienced health professionals. To be prepared for future natural disasters, health policies aiming to provide quality information online to inform the public should be developed.