Abstract:

Aim: The study aimed to analyze the quality, adequacy and readability of websites created for patients with shoulder complaints associated with biceps tendon disorders. Methods: The terms 'shoulder injury', 'biceps tendinitis' and 'biceps tendon rupture' were searched in the most used search engines in United States (Google, Yahoo, and Bing). One hundred forty seven websites designed to inform patients were included in the study. The quality, popularity, adequacy and reliability were meausured. Results: Flesch reading ease scores of websites with content creation by health professionals were significantly lower than those without; in contrast, Flesch-Kincaid grade level (FKGL) and Koleman-Liau index scores were significantly higher (p<0.05). Global Quality Score and originality scores were greater in website created by health professionals. In addition, the percentage of websites with reference citations and addressing the importance, symptoms, treatment, signs and mechanism of the disease was significantly higher in websites with content creation by health professionals than in those without (p<0.05). The Gunning Fog, FKGL, Simple Measure of Gobbledygook, Automated readability index and Linear write formula scores were lower for websites with the HON code than those without the HON code. Also orginality score and Alexa Popularity Rank (APR) scores were lower in websites with HONcode than without HON code (p<0.05). Conclusion: Websites with HON code and prepared by healthcare professionals can provide sufficient and quality information to patients with biceps tendon disorders. The web content available for biceps tendon disorders is above the recommended reading level. Health professionals should be encouraged to increase the readability of the content.

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