Is Arabic online patient-centered information about dental extraction trustworthy? An infodemiological study

Abstract

Background Assessment of the Arabic online patient-centered information is understudied. The study aims to assess the quality and readability of the Arabic web-based knowledge about dental extraction. Methods The first 100 Arabic websites focusing on dental extraction were gathered using popular terms from Google, Bing, and Yahoo searches. These sites were organized and their quality was assessed using three key standards: the Journal of the American Medical Association ( JAMA) benchmark criteria, the DISCERN instrument, and the inclusion of the Health on the Net Foundation Code of Conduct (HON code) seal. Additionally, the ease of reading of these websites was evaluated through various online readability indexes. Results Out of 300 initially reviewed websites on dental extraction in Arabic, 80 met the eligibility criteria. Nonprofit organizations were most common (41.3%), followed by university/medical centers (36.3%), and commercial entities (21.3%). Government organizations were minimally represented (1.3%). All websites were medically oriented, with 60% offering Q&A sections. Quality assessment showed moderate scores on the DISCERN instrument, with no site reaching the highest score. JAMA benchmarks were poorly met, and none had the HON code seal. Readability was generally high, with most sites scoring favorably on readability scales. Conclusions The rapidly evolving online information about dental extraction lacks readability and quality and can spread misinformation. Creators should focus on clear, unbiased content using simple language for better public understanding.