Analysis of the Quality, Accuracy, and Readability of Patient Information on Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) on the Internet: A Cross-Sectional Study
May 2023
in “
Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology
”
TLDR The internet has accurate information on Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, but it's not high quality or easy to read, so we need better, user-friendly resources.
The cross-sectional study analyzed 150 webpages providing information on Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), a hormonal disorder affecting 15-20% of women of reproductive age. The majority of these webpages were commercial (57%). The study found that the information was accurate, but the quality and readability were not high. Google webpages had higher DISCERN scores, indicating better quality and clarity of information, compared to Bing and Yahoo. However, there was no significant difference in EQIP scores, which measure clarity, across different search engines. The readability of the information was high, suggesting a need for more readable resources about PCOS. The study concluded that there is a need for high-quality, user-friendly PCOS patient information online that is within the recommended readability level.