Comparative Assessment of Online Written Health Information on Treatment of Erectile Dysfunction in English and Hindi Language Webpages

Abstract

Objectives: To assess and compare the overall quality of online written information on the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED) in English and Hindi language webpages. Also, correlates of the quality of online health information were explored. Methods: First 50 links obtained on Google search in both English and Hindi language were screened, and a total of 86 (45 English, 41 Hindi) webpages providing patient-oriented information on the treatment of ED were analysed. Content quality and reliability were assessed using the DISCERN scale and the JAMA benchmark criteria respectively. Additionally, aesthetics, interactivity, and readability were evaluated. Results: The DISCERN score indicative of content quality was significantly higher for English webpages compared to Hindi webpages. English webpages were more likely to meet disclosure and attribution JAMA criteria for the reliability of medical information. English webpages with HONcode certification were more likely to have better content quality than those without it. However, none of the Hindi web pages analyzed were HONcode certified. Conclusion: English language webpages provided better overall quality of information on treatment of ED as compared to Hindi language. HONcode label might be used as a proxy indicator of better content quality for online resources informing on ED treatment by laypersons. There is a need to develop and popularize the usage of HONcode or other similar online health information quality accreditation systems for webpages in non-English languages like Hindi.