Content, quality, and readability of website information on dental care for patients with cancer

Evaluation of the Information on Dutch Dental Practice Websites Regarding the Treatment of (Frail) Elderly Patients

The number of elderly people worldwide and their need for dental care increases in a yearly basis. A dental practice website can be a valuable source of information to these patients that may need comprehensive or adjusted care. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the information on Dutch general dental practice websites on topics relevant to the treatment of (frail) elderly patients. Websites were selected from (1) a random sample of 217 Dutch general dental practices (sample-group) and (2) dental practices of 130 members of the Dutch Association for Gerodontology (gero-group), and screened for items in 4 categories: website functionality, contact details and accessibility, composition of the dental team, and specific information for elderly patients. Of the selected websites, 196 in the sample-group and 54 in the gero-group were eligible for data collection. Most websites mentioned opening hours, a phone number, and the composition of the dental team. Other information was overall scarce, especially regarding (frail) elderly patients. The gero-group significantly more often mentioned elderly as a specific target patient group (11,1% vs 2,6%), but numbers were overall low. Websites in the gero-group were hardly more informative or adjusted to elderly than in the sample-group; wheelchair accessibility was the only feature mentioned significantly more often (37.0% vs 17.3%). Only one website in the sample-group and 2 websites in the gero-group mentioned the possibility of home visits. In conclusion, dental practice websites lack information in general, and information relevant to elderly patients in particular, and there is room for improvement in website functionality. Additionally, general dental practices seem insufficiently equipped for the treatment of (frail) elderly patients, highlighting the need for improvement of oral healthcare for this specific patient group. This study addresses the insufficiencies in the provision of information on dental practice websites, allowing for targeted future studies towards improvement.

Assessing the Capabilities of Generative Pretrained Transformer-4 in Addressing Open-Ended Inquiries of Oral Cancer

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS

In the face of escalating oral cancer rates, the application of large language models like Generative Pretrained Transformer (GPT)-4 presents a novel pathway for enhancing public awareness about prevention and early detection. This research aims to explore the capabilities and possibilities of GPT-4 in addressing open-ended inquiries in the field of oral cancer.

METHODS

Using 60 questions accompanied by reference answers, covering concepts, causes, treatments, nutrition, and other aspects of oral cancer, evaluators from diverse backgrounds were selected to evaluate the capabilities of GPT-4 and a customized version. A P value under .05 was considered significant.

RESULTS

Analysis revealed that GPT-4 and its adaptations notably excelled in answering open-ended questions, with the majority of responses receiving high scores. Although the median score for standard GPT-4 was marginally better, statistical tests showed no significant difference in capabilities between the two models (P > .05). Despite statistical significance indicated diverse backgrounds of evaluators have statistically difference (P < .05), a post hoc test and comprehensive analysis demonstrated that both editions of GPT-4 demonstrated equivalent capabilities in answering questions concerning oral cancer.

CONCLUSIONS

GPT-4 has demonstrated its capability to furnish responses to open-ended inquiries concerning oral cancer. Utilizing this advanced technology to boost public awareness about oral cancer is viable and has much potential. When it's unable to locate pertinent information, it will resort to their inherent knowledge base or recommend consulting professionals after offering some basic information. Therefore, it cannot supplant the expertise and clinical judgment of surgical oncologists and could be used as an adjunctive evaluation tool.

Online information about oral health in autism spectrum disorder: Is it good enough?

INTRODUCTION

The use of the internet has surged significantly over the years. Patients and caregivers of patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) might consult the internet for oral health-related information. Hence, this study aimed to assess the quality and readability of online information available in the English language regarding oral health in ASD.

METHODS

Online search using Google.com was conducted using the terms "Autism and dental care," "Autism and oral health," and "Autism and dentistry". The first 100 websites for each term were screened. Quality of information was assessed using the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool for printed material (PEMAT-P) and the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmarks. A PEMAT score higher than 70% is considered acceptable for readability and actionability. The JAMA benchmarks are authorship, attribution, disclosure, and currency. Readability was evaluated using the Flesch reading ease score and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) readability formula.

RESULTS

Out of the 300 screened websites, 66 were eventually included. The mean PEMAT understandability and actionability scores were 77.13%, and 42.12%, respectively. Only 12.1% of the websites displayed all four JAMA benchmarks. The mean Flesch score was 10th-12th grade level, and the mean SMOG score was 10th grade level.

CONCLUSION

While the understandability of the information was acceptable, the readability and actionability were too challenging for lay people. Health care professionals and organizations involved in patient education should place more efforts in promoting the quality of online information targeting patients with ASD.

Quality Assessment of Internet Information Regarding Periodontitis in Persons Living with HIV

The Internet is the most used source of HIV information second to information received from healthcare professionals. The aim of this study was to assess the quality of Internet information about periodontitis in people living with HIV (PLWH). An Internet search was performed on 18 April 2024 using the search terms "Periodontitis", "Periodontal disease", and "Gum disease" in combination with "HIV" in the most popular search engines (Google™, Bing™, and YAHOO!®). The first 20 results from each search term engine were pooled for analysis. Quality was assessed by JAMA benchmarks. Readability was assessed using the Flesch reading ease score (FRES). Origin of the site, type of author, and information details were also recorded. The quality of Internet information about periodontitis in PLWH varied. The mean JAMA score was 2.81 (SD = 1.0). The websites were generally fairly difficult to read (mean FRES = 57.1, SD = 15.0). Most websites provided some advice about self-treatment of oral problems, accompanied by a strong recommendation to seek professional dental care. In conclusion, advanced reading skills on periodontitis in PLWH were required and quality features were mostly not provided. Therefore, healthcare professionals should be actively involved in developing high-quality information resources and direct patients to evidence-based materials on the Internet.

What Is Health Literacy Among Orthognathic Surgery Patients?

BACKGROUND

Health literacy of orthognathic surgery patients has not been thoroughly evaluated.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to estimate health literacy and identify risk factors associated with inadequate health literacy in orthognathic surgery patients.

STUDY DESIGN, SETTING, SAMPLE

A cross-sectional study was implemented utilizing patients ages 14-80 years who presented for orthognathic surgery evaluation between September 2021 and December 2022. Subjects were excluded from the study if they did not complete the orthognathic surgery evaluation, were not between the ages of 14-80 years old, or did not complete the Brief Health Literacy Screening Tool (BRIEF) questionnaire during intake. Subjects who have not undergone orthognathic surgery but completed the initial evaluation for orthognathic surgery were included in the study.

PREDICTOR VARIABLES

The predictor variables were a set of risk factors for inadequate health literacy: age, sex, primary language, race, estimated household income, and diagnosis.

MAIN OUTCOME VARIABLE

The main outcome variable was health literacy assessed using the BRIEF questionnaire. During intake, subjects completed the BRIEF questionnaire consisting of four questions scored on an ordinal scale of 1-5. Inadequate health literacy was defined as a BRIEF score ≤16.

COVARIATES

Not applicable.

ANALYSES

Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed. P < .05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

Of 150 patients presenting for orthognathic surgery, fifteen percent of patients had inadequate health literacy via the BRIEF test. The mean age of those with adequate health literacy was 27.9 years (standard deviation, ±12.5) compared to 18.5 years (standard deviation, ±5.7) for those with inadequate health literacy (P = <.001). After adjusting for sex, language, race, estimated household income, and diagnosis via multivariate analysis, increasing age was associated with decreased odds of inadequate health literacy (adjusted odds ratio = 0.81; confidence interval, 0.72-0.92; P = <.001).

CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE

In the complex process of orthognathic surgery, it is essential to identify patients with inadequate health literacy that may require additional health literacy interventions. Ultimately, 15% of orthognathic surgery subjects had inadequate health literacy, and younger patients were the most susceptible as the odds of inadequate health literacy decreased with increasing age.

Online Cleft Educational Videos: Parent Preferences

OBJECTIVE

Determine what parents of children with cleft lip and palate value in online educational videos and evaluate whether their needs are currently being met.

DESIGN

Focus groups and telephone interviews were used to define parent information needs, followed by an evaluation of whether currently available YouTube videos meet these needs.

SETTING

British Columbia Children's Hospital multidisciplinary cleft clinic.

PARTICIPANTS

Twenty-four parents of children with nonsyndromic cleft lip and palate.

RESULTS

Parents desired videos that are accessible, trustworthy, relatable, and positive. Parents preferred a series of short videos addressing relevant topics as their child grows. Currently available YouTube videos only partially met these needs, with underrepresented topics including hearing, dentition, and surgeries for older children.

CONCLUSIONS

While access and validity of video resources can be improved by directing patients and families to appropriate videos, some parent needs remain unmet.

Quality and readability of online patient information regarding sclerotherapy for venous malformations

BACKGROUND

Patients often use the internet as a source of information about their condition and treatments. However, this information is unregulated and varies in quality.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the readability and quality of online information for pediatric and adult patients and caregivers regarding sclerotherapy for venous malformations.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

"Venous malformation sclerotherapy" was entered into Google, and results were reviewed until 20 sites that satisfied predefined inclusion criteria were identified. Scientific and non-patient-focused web pages were excluded. Readability was assessed using the Flesch Reading Ease Score and American Medical Association reading difficulty recommendations and quality was assessed using Journal of the American Medical Association standards and assessing if the site displayed HONcode (Health on the Net Code) certification. Assessment of the breadth of relevant information was made using a predefined checklist.

RESULTS

Forty-nine search engine results were reviewed before 20 sites were identified for analysis. Average Flesch Reading Ease Score was 44 (range: 24.2-70.1), representing a "fairly difficult" reading level. None of the sites had a Flesch Reading Ease Score meeting the American Medical Association recommendation of 80-90. Only one site met all four Journal of the American Medical Association quality criteria (average: 2.1). None of the sites displayed a HONcode seal. The information most frequently found was: sclerotherapy is performed by radiologists, multiple treatments may be needed and surgery is an alternative treatment.

CONCLUSION

Online information regarding sclerotherapy for venous malformations is heterogeneous in quality and breadth of information, and does not meet readability recommendations for patient information. Radiologists should be aware of and account for this when meeting patients.

Making Cancer Health Text on the Internet Easier to Read for Deaf People Who Use American Sign Language

People with relatively limited English language proficiency find the Internet's cancer and health information difficult to access and understand. The presence of unfamiliar words and complex grammar make this particularly difficult for Deaf people. Unfortunately, current technology does not support low-cost, accurate translations of online materials into American Sign Language. However, current technology is relatively more advanced in allowing text simplification, while retaining content. This research team developed a two-step approach for simplifying cancer and other health text. They then tested the approach, using a crossover design with a sample of 36 deaf and 38 hearing college students. Results indicated that hearing college students did well on both the original and simplified text versions. Deaf college students' comprehension, in contrast, significantly benefitted from the simplified text. This two-step translation process offers a strategy that may improve the accessibility of Internet information for Deaf, as well as other low-literacy individuals.

Web-based surveillance of public information needs for informing preconception interventions

Background

The risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes can be minimized through the adoption of healthy lifestyles before pregnancy by women of childbearing age. Initiatives for promotion of preconception health may be difficult to implement. Internet can be used to build tailored health interventions through identification of the public's information needs. To this aim, we developed a semi-automatic web-based system for monitoring Google searches, web pages and activity on social networks, regarding preconception health.

Methods

Based on the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists guidelines and on the actual search behaviors of Italian Internet users, we defined a set of keywords targeting preconception care topics. Using these keywords, we analyzed the usage of Google search engine and identified web pages containing preconception care recommendations. We also monitored how the selected web pages were shared on social networks. We analyzed discrepancies between searched and published information and the sharing pattern of the topics.

Results

We identified 1,807 Google search queries which generated a total of 1,995,030 searches during the study period. Less than 10% of the reviewed pages contained preconception care information and in 42.8% information was consistent with ACOG guidelines. Facebook was the most used social network for sharing. Nutrition, Chronic Diseases and Infectious Diseases were the most published and searched topics. Regarding Genetic Risk and Folic Acid, a high search volume was not associated to a high web page production, while Medication pages were more frequently published than searched. Vaccinations elicited high sharing although web page production was low; this effect was quite variable in time.

Conclusion

Our study represent a resource to prioritize communication on specific topics on the web, to address misconceptions, and to tailor interventions to specific populations.