Quality and Readability Assessment of Patient-Centered Online Information on Apical Surgery
Introduction and aims: Nowadays, patients seek medical information online. Patient-oriented content must be easy to read and trustworthy. This study aimed to assess the quality and readability of online information about apical surgery and apicoectomy in English and Spanish. Methods: The authors per...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-10-01
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| Series: | International Dental Journal |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0020653925002412 |
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| author | Pablo Álvarez-Nóvoa Ramón Miguéns-Vila Benjamín Martín-Biedma Gustavo De-Deus María Pilar Pecci-Lloret Miriam Teulé-Trull Juan Seoane-Romero Pablo Castelo-Baz |
| author_facet | Pablo Álvarez-Nóvoa Ramón Miguéns-Vila Benjamín Martín-Biedma Gustavo De-Deus María Pilar Pecci-Lloret Miriam Teulé-Trull Juan Seoane-Romero Pablo Castelo-Baz |
| author_sort | Pablo Álvarez-Nóvoa |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction and aims: Nowadays, patients seek medical information online. Patient-oriented content must be easy to read and trustworthy. This study aimed to assess the quality and readability of online information about apical surgery and apicoectomy in English and Spanish. Methods: The authors performed the following systematic searches on Google in February 2023: “apicoectomy”, “apicectomía”, “apical surgery”, and “cirugía apical”. The first 100 websites of each query were selected. English readability was assessed using Flesch-Kincaid Reading Grade Level, Flesch Reading Ease Score, Gunning Fog Index, Coleman-Liau Index, Automated Readability Index and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook Index. The Fernández-Huerta Index and INFLESZ were used to assess Spanish readability. Quality was measured using the DISCERN tool. Results: A total of 165 sites were included in total. Readability for English-language sites (“apical surgery” and “apicoectomy”) was categorised as “fairly difficult to read” [FRES (apical surgery) = 54.7; FRES (apicoectomy) = 54.3]. Similarly, Spanish sites (“cirugía apical” and “apicectomía”) were classified as “relatively difficult to read”. Overall, the DISCERN tool showed a low average quality of information for all terms analysed. Conclusion: English and Spanish online information about apical surgery is difficult for the average patient to understand and presents significant quality deficiencies. Clinical relevance: The Internet is a powerful tool for communicating with patients, but available apical surgery information is difficult for laypersons to understand and has a low overall quality. To overcome this issue, endodontists should produce high-quality, patient-relevant materials in plain language. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ee2b9b04d3ff4e2b98f5026fb45f8455 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0020-6539 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-10-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Dental Journal |
| spelling | doaj-art-ee2b9b04d3ff4e2b98f5026fb45f84552025-08-23T04:47:19ZengElsevierInternational Dental Journal0020-65392025-10-0175510095510.1016/j.identj.2025.100955Quality and Readability Assessment of Patient-Centered Online Information on Apical SurgeryPablo Álvarez-Nóvoa0Ramón Miguéns-Vila1Benjamín Martín-Biedma2Gustavo De-Deus3María Pilar Pecci-Lloret4Miriam Teulé-Trull5Juan Seoane-Romero6Pablo Castelo-Baz7Master Endore, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, SpainMaster Endore, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Corresponding author. University of Santiago de Compostela, Facultad de Odontología, Entrerríos Street, no number. 15702, Santiago de Compostela,15705, Spain.Master Endore, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, SpainFluminense Federal University, Niterói, BrazilGerodontology and Special Care Dentistry Unit, Morales Meseguer Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Murcia, Murcia, SpainMaster Endore, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, SpainFaculty of Dentistry, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de CompostelaMaster Endore, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Corresponding author. University of Santiago de Compostela, Facultad de Odontología, Entrerríos Street, no number. 15702, Santiago de Compostela,15705, Spain.Introduction and aims: Nowadays, patients seek medical information online. Patient-oriented content must be easy to read and trustworthy. This study aimed to assess the quality and readability of online information about apical surgery and apicoectomy in English and Spanish. Methods: The authors performed the following systematic searches on Google in February 2023: “apicoectomy”, “apicectomía”, “apical surgery”, and “cirugía apical”. The first 100 websites of each query were selected. English readability was assessed using Flesch-Kincaid Reading Grade Level, Flesch Reading Ease Score, Gunning Fog Index, Coleman-Liau Index, Automated Readability Index and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook Index. The Fernández-Huerta Index and INFLESZ were used to assess Spanish readability. Quality was measured using the DISCERN tool. Results: A total of 165 sites were included in total. Readability for English-language sites (“apical surgery” and “apicoectomy”) was categorised as “fairly difficult to read” [FRES (apical surgery) = 54.7; FRES (apicoectomy) = 54.3]. Similarly, Spanish sites (“cirugía apical” and “apicectomía”) were classified as “relatively difficult to read”. Overall, the DISCERN tool showed a low average quality of information for all terms analysed. Conclusion: English and Spanish online information about apical surgery is difficult for the average patient to understand and presents significant quality deficiencies. Clinical relevance: The Internet is a powerful tool for communicating with patients, but available apical surgery information is difficult for laypersons to understand and has a low overall quality. To overcome this issue, endodontists should produce high-quality, patient-relevant materials in plain language.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0020653925002412Apical surgeryApicoectomyDISCERNHealth literacyInternetReadability |
| spellingShingle | Pablo Álvarez-Nóvoa Ramón Miguéns-Vila Benjamín Martín-Biedma Gustavo De-Deus María Pilar Pecci-Lloret Miriam Teulé-Trull Juan Seoane-Romero Pablo Castelo-Baz Quality and Readability Assessment of Patient-Centered Online Information on Apical Surgery International Dental Journal Apical surgery Apicoectomy DISCERN Health literacy Internet Readability |
| title | Quality and Readability Assessment of Patient-Centered Online Information on Apical Surgery |
| title_full | Quality and Readability Assessment of Patient-Centered Online Information on Apical Surgery |
| title_fullStr | Quality and Readability Assessment of Patient-Centered Online Information on Apical Surgery |
| title_full_unstemmed | Quality and Readability Assessment of Patient-Centered Online Information on Apical Surgery |
| title_short | Quality and Readability Assessment of Patient-Centered Online Information on Apical Surgery |
| title_sort | quality and readability assessment of patient centered online information on apical surgery |
| topic | Apical surgery Apicoectomy DISCERN Health literacy Internet Readability |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0020653925002412 |
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