Department of Neurosurgery, Waikato Hospital, Hamilton, New Zealand.
Br J Neurosurg. 2021 Oct;35(5):551-554. doi: 10.1080/02688697.2021.1905772. Epub 2021 Mar 26.
Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) represents one of the most common and most aggressive forms of brain tumours with a poor prognosis. There is often uncertainty around diagnosis and prognosis amongst patients diagnosed with cancer. Most patients rely on internet to access health-related information. The aim of this study was to assess the readability and reliability of online information on GBM.
The terms 'Glioblastoma' and 'GBM' were used to search Google and the first 50 websites identified were screened. For each website, the quality of each website was assessed using the DISCERN instrument, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmark criteria and the Health on the Net Foundation code certification (HON-code). The readability was assessed using the Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRE), the Flesch-Kincaid grade level (FKGL) and the Gunning Fog Index (GFI). The relevant patient information by 4 International patient information websites were also assessed.
Following screening, 31 websites met the inclusion criteria with only four websites displaying the HON-code (12.9%). The median DISCERN score was 43 (range: 17-70) corresponding to 'fair' quality, and the median JAMA benchmark criteria score was 1. Display of the HON-code certificate or the publication date was associated with higher quality websites. The median FRE score corresponded to 'difficult' to read (34.4). The median GFI score (15.9) and FKGL score (13.3) corresponded to a 'college' level of education reading ability. The Cancer Australia online information was the most readable website while Cancer Research UK had the highest quality information.
The readability and reliability of online information relating to GBM is inadequate. Health professionals need to provide or guide patients to information that is both readable and reliable.
多形性胶质母细胞瘤（GBM）是最常见和最具侵袭性的脑瘤之一，预后较差。在被诊断患有癌症的患者中，诊断和预后常常存在不确定性。大多数患者依靠互联网获取与健康相关的信息。本研究旨在评估关于 GBM 的在线信息的可读性和可靠性。
使用术语“Glioblastoma”和“GBM”在 Google 上进行搜索，并筛选出前 50 个识别的网站。对于每个网站，使用 DISCERN 工具、《美国医学会杂志》（JAMA）基准标准和健康互联网基金会代码认证（HON-code）评估每个网站的质量。使用 Flesch 阅读舒适度得分（FRE）、Flesch-Kincaid 年级水平（FKGL）和 Gunning Fog 指数（GFI）评估可读性。还评估了 4 个国际患者信息网站的相关患者信息。
经过筛选，有 31 个网站符合纳入标准，只有 4 个网站显示 HON 代码（12.9%）。中位数 DISCERN 得分为 43（范围：17-70），对应于“中等”质量，中位数 JAMA 基准标准得分为 1。显示 HON 代码证书或发布日期与质量较高的网站相关。中位数 FRE 得分为 34.4，对应于“难读”。中位数 GFI 得分（15.9）和 FKGL 得分（13.3）对应于“大学”水平的阅读能力。澳大利亚癌症协会的在线信息是最易读的网站，而英国癌症研究协会的信息质量最高。
与 GBM 相关的在线信息的可读性和可靠性不足。卫生专业人员需要提供或指导患者阅读可读且可靠的信息。
