Accuracy and Reliability of Internet Resources Providing Information on Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

ABSTRACT:

Study objectives

To evaluate the readability, content, and quality of internet information about obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Methods

Three major search engines (Google, Yahoo, and Bing) were used to retrieve the first 200 hits for the term "sleep apnea." The website contents were assessed using established guidelines, while the website quality was evaluated using the validated DISCERN instrument and Journal of the American Medical Association benchmarks.

Results

In total, 243 websites met the inclusion criteria for this study. The websites were divided into five categories: scientific resource, foundation, news/ media report, commercial website, and personal commentary. The mean Flesch-Kincaid grade level, which indicated the readability of the websites, was

SUBMITTER: Lee J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6175792 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature