Online information on sports medicine varies in quality, researchers find

The quality of online information about the most common sports medicine diagnoses varies widely, according to a study published in the July issue of The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS).

The study authors stated that a large part of the issue is the lack of quality control over online health information – especially in comparison to the rate at which the Internet and its use have grown exponentially.

“The reason that we decided to undertake this study is that patients are presenting to their physicians’ office with increasing frequency armed with printouts of information obtained from the Internet,” stated study author Madhav A. Karunakar, MD, in a JBJS press release. “Physicians and patients should be aware that the quality of information available online varies greatly.

“Additionally, physicians should be prepared to discuss this information with their patients in order to ensure that it is not misinterpreted,” he added.

Ten common diagnoses

Researchers chose 10 of the most common sports medicine diagnoses and reviewed the available online information about each one. The diagnoses reviewed were ACL tear, medial collateral ligament tear, PCL tear, rotator cuff tear, meniscal tear, labral tear, tennis elbow, acromioclavicular joint separation, patellofemoral syndrome, and osteochondral defect.

Using the two most frequently searched engines – Google and Yahoo – the authors reviewed the top 10 search results for each diagnosis. They investigated completeness, correctness, and clarity of the information available. They also recorded the source of the information, noting whether the site’s owner was a nonprofit organization, news source, academic institution, individual physician, or commercial enterprise.

Watch out for sponsors

According to the press release, the study found that nonprofit sites scored highest for content, followed by academic sites and nonsales-oriented sites such as WebMD and eMedicine. The least accurate information sources, the study said, were newspaper articles and personal websites. Commercial sites with a financial interest in the diagnosis, such as those sponsored by companies selling a drug or treatment device, were reportedly common but frequently incomplete.

“About 20% of the sites that turned up in the top 10 results were sponsored sites,” stated Karunakar. “These site owners are motivated to promote their product, so the information found there may be biased. We also found that these sites rarely mentioned the risks or complications associated with treatment as they are trying to represent their product in the best possible light.”

Avoid commercial websites

The authors suggested that patients be counseled to avoid commercial websites, with the exception of the most reputable – such as WebMD and eMedicine. Further, they should be advised to look for the seal of compliance for transparency and accountability from the Health On the Net Foundation (HON).

Similar cautions are advised for orthopedic residents and any health care professional who may use the Internet as a reference tool during their education.

“Despite its shortcomings, the Internet is the future of how patients will obtain information to make their health care decisions,” Karunakar concluded in the release. “Therefore, patients and physicians need to make sure they are getting that information from reputable, accurate sources.”

Reference:
Starman JS, Gettys FK, Capo JA, et al. Quality and Content of Internet-Based Information for Ten Common Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Diagnoses. The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (American). 2010;92:1612-1618.