The readability and reliability of online information about adenoidectomy.

Abstract

<h4>Objective</h4>There is limited understanding amongst patients and parents of paediatric patients regarding adenoidectomy. Most patients access health-related information online. The aim of this study was to assess the suitability of online information on adenoidectomy.<h4>Method</h4>The term 'adenoid' was used to search Google, and the first 50 websites identified were screened. For each website, the readability and quality were assessed.<h4>Results</h4>Of the 41 websites that met the inclusion criteria, the mean readability scores corresponded to 'difficult to read' and university-level reading categories. For the quality of the websites, the mean score corresponded to 'fair' with 39 per cent of the websites containing either 'poor' or 'very poor' quality data. The ENT UK information is one of the most readable and reliable online resources.<h4>Conclusion</h4>The online information on adenoidectomy is largely set at an inappropriate readability level and of variable quality. Surgeons should consider assisting their patients with online searches regarding adenoidectomy.