Raja H, Almansoor Z R
University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, UK.
University of Manchester, UK.
Ann R Coll Surg Engl. 2024 Jan;106(1):45-50. doi: 10.1308/rcsann.2022.0150. Epub 2023 Feb 7.
Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is the most common cause of peripheral vertigo. It can have a significant impact on quality of life, with individuals often seeking information online for reassurance and education. The aim of this study is to assess the readability and quality of online information on BPPV.
The terms 'benign paroxysmal positional vertigo' and 'BPPV' were entered into Google. The first 50 websites generated for each search term were screened. Readability was assessed using the Flesch-Kincaid Reading Ease Score (FRES), Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) Index and Gunning Fog Index (GFOG). Quality was assessed using the DISCERN instrument. Spearman's correlation between quality and readability was calculated.
A total of 39 websites met the inclusion criteria. The mean and 95% confidence intervals for the FRES, FKGL, SMOG, GFOG and DISCERN scores were 50.2 (46.1-54.3), 10.6 (9.87-11.4), 10.1 (9.5-10.7), 13.6 (12.7-14.4) and 36.7 (34.6-38.7), respectively. Weak correlation was noted between DISCERN and FRES ( = -0.23, = 0.17).
Online information on BPPV is generally of poor quality and low readability. It is essential that healthcare professionals inform their patients of this limitation and advocate for improved online patient education resources that are both high quality and easy to comprehend.
良性阵发性位置性眩晕（BPPV）是周围性眩晕最常见的病因。它会对生活质量产生重大影响，患者常常在网上寻求信息以获得安心和教育。本研究的目的是评估关于BPPV的在线信息的可读性和质量。
在谷歌中输入“良性阵发性位置性眩晕”和“BPPV”这两个术语。对每个搜索词生成的前50个网站进行筛选。使用弗莱什-金凯德易读性评分（FRES）、弗莱什-金凯德年级水平（FKGL）、简化的难解词度量（SMOG）指数和冈宁雾指数（GFOG）评估可读性。使用DISCERN工具评估质量。计算质量与可读性之间的斯皮尔曼相关性。
共有39个网站符合纳入标准。FRES、FKGL、SMOG、GFOG和DISCERN评分的均值及95%置信区间分别为50.2（46.1 - 54.3）、10.6（9.87 - 11.4）、10.1（9.5 - 10.7）、13.6（12.7 - 14.4）和36.7（34.6 - 38.7）。注意到DISCERN与FRES之间存在弱相关性（ = -0.23， = 0.17）。
关于BPPV的在线信息质量普遍较差且可读性较低。医疗保健专业人员必须告知患者这一局限性，并倡导改善在线患者教育资源，使其既高质量又易于理解。
