Quality and readability of online web information for childhood glaucoma
Reviewed by Fiona Rowe

In this study, the quality, reliability, technical quality and readability of online information related to childhood glaucoma was assessed. This was a cross-sectional study of websites discussing childhood glaucoma. The authors undertook an analysis of 500 websites over a six-month period using Google as the primary search engine with a preset of 50 results per page. They limited the results to the first two pages. Each website was reviewed by two independent reviewers using three criteria of DISCERN, HONcode and JAMA – gauging quality of health information, ethical and transparency aspects, and credibility and reliability as a source of health information, respectively. One hundred websites were reviewed each for paediatric glaucoma childhood glaucoma, congenital glaucoma, buphthalmos and big eyes. The big eyes search had no results related to childhood glaucoma. Duplicate results were found for 120 of 400 searches resulting in 280 unique web results for analysis. Institute websites accounted for 115 and 165 were private websites. The median DISCERN score was 2.6, HONcode was 10 and JAM was 2. Technical quality score was 0.7. Readability was assessed with the Flesch-Kincaid reading ease score – median 41.4. The findings highlight the need for improvement in content and accessibility of online information for childhood glaucoma. There is significant variation for quality and readability. Often the readability was above the recommended reading level, which may impede comprehension of information by patients and families.

Quality, reliability, technical quality and readability of Google online information on childhood glaucoma.
Elhusseiny AM, Hassan AK, Hassan MA, et al.
JOURNAL OF PEDIATRIC OPHTHALMOLOGY AND STRABISMUS
2024;61(3):198–203.