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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Int Arch Otorhinolaryngol 2021; 25(03): e446-e452
DOI: 10.1055/s-0040-1716569
Original Article

Quality of the Italian Websites for Parental Guidance on the Indications for Tonsillectomy in Children

Camila de Castro Corrêa 
1   Graduation Course of Speech-Language and Hearing Pathology, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF, Brazil
2   Graduation Course of Speech-Language and Hearing Pathology, Centro Universitário Planalto do Distrito Federal (UNIPLAN), Brasília, DF, Brazil
,
Sofia Prata Piña 
3   Department of Ophthalmology, Otolaryngology, and Head and Neck Surgery, Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
,
Melania Evangelisti 
4   Pediatric Sleep Disease Center, Child Neurology, NESMOS Department, School of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Rome, Italy
,
Maria Pia Villa 
4   Pediatric Sleep Disease Center, Child Neurology, NESMOS Department, School of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Rome, Italy
,
Silke Anna Theresa Weber 
3   Department of Ophthalmology, Otolaryngology, and Head and Neck Surgery, Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
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Abstract

Introduction The quality of information on websites about tonsillectomy regarding the knowledge level may be low. Tonsillectomy is a surgical procedure to hypertrophy of the palatine and pharyngeal tonsils. So, it is an invasive procedure with possible complications, which creates insecurity in parents. Significantly, Internet searches have been increased to address possible health concerns, questioning the quality of websites about tonsillectomy.

Objective To evaluate the readability, reliability, and comprehensiveness of the Italian websites dedicated to parental guidance regarding the indications for tonsillectomy in children.

Methods The search engine google.it was used to search the websites. The Gulpease index, which is a widely used readability formula ranging from 0 (difficult) to 100 (easy readability), was employed to evaluate these websites. The Health on the Net Code of Conduct (HONcode) was used to assess the quality of information, by taking ethical principles into account, with values ranging from 0 to 13. The content comprehensiveness of the web pages was assessed by assigning points ranging from 1 (very insufficient) to 5 (very satisfying) to each page. A final comparison with previous studies on tonsillectomy published on websites from other countries was performed.

Results Fourteen Italian websites were selected, and the Gulpease index showed a mean average of 40.77 ± 8.45. The mean of the HONcode analysis was 6.00 ± 1.92, in which the principles with the poorest scores were Attribution and Update. As far as the comprehensiveness of the websites is concerned, the resulting mean was 2.57 ± 0.77, in which Indications was the topic with the highest mean, whereas Benefits was the one with the lowest.

Conclusion The Italian websites were characterized by a lower readability level, a middle position regarding ethical principles, and the same (insufficient) comprehensiveness of tonsillectomy when compared with websites from different countries.

Keywords

internet - patient portals - patient information - readability - tonsillectomy

Institutions Where the Work was Carried

1) Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Distrito de Rubião Júnior, S/N, 18618–970, Botucatu, SP, Brazil.


2) Sapienza University of Rome, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Via di Grottarossa, 1035–1039, 00189, Rome, Italy.




Publication History

Received: 11 January 2020

Accepted: 17 July 2020

Article published online:
30 November 2020

© 2021. Fundação Otorrinolaringologia. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commecial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

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