United Kingdom Practice Websites- An Assessment Of The Validity of Orthodontic Information
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Abstract
Dr. Annika Patel, Kings College London
Professor Martyn Cobourne, Research Supervisor, Kings College London
Background: The rapid increase in Internet usage in the United Kingdom has increased the ease of accessibility of health information to the public. Health related toolkits have been advocated to aid both consumers and providers to evaluate the health information that is displayed on dental practice websites. This will aid identification of the validity of this information; it’s adherence to legislation and guidance and encourages ethical advertising, in accordance with national legislation and the General Dental Council Guidance.
Objective: The aims of this research are: to assess the accessibility, usability, reliability and content of orthodontic information advertised on UK dental practice websites; To compare these results to the first 25 ranked dental websites, to assess the quality of orthodontic information; To assess the compliance of these dental websites, with the General Dental Council Guidance on ethical advertising.
Method: The content of 100 United Kingdom based dental practice websites were cited using the Google Search engine, analysed and assessed for their accessibility, usability and reliability, against two validated toolkits, which assess online health information:
I. The DISCERN Toolkit- advocated by The Cochrane Collaboration as an evidence based toolkit
II. The LIDA Instrument- a product by Minervation- A Validated Healthcare toolkit
In addition this data was compared to the top 25 ranked dental practice websites, as cited by the Google Search engine. The LIDA results for accessibility, usability and reliability for each website were compared to a gold standard of 90%, and the compliance to the General Dental Council Guidance, type of orthodontic provider, the treatment type, use of imaging and videography and the use of social media and blogs, assessed.
Results: There were a number of claims made by orthodontic providers, without evidence base, poor adherence to legislation and guidance. Whilst the accessibility to dental practice websites remained high, there was a low reliability associated with the content of the information in the majority of practice websites in the UK. (Kappa = 0.871, 95% CI 0.73 to 0.91 in both instances). In accordance with the General Dental Council Guidance, only 32% of websites included a link to the GDC website, with 17% displaying a clear complaints policy. 11% of practice websites reached the gold standard of 90%. There is a wide range of orthodontic treatment provision and options, with 67% of dental practice websites incorporating imaging and social media as part of their marketing strategies.
Conclusion: The highest ranked dental practice website, did not necessarily correlate to a more reliable practice website for consumer information on treatment options, in terms of accessibility, usability and reliability. There is a growing need for simple objective criteria, based on a combination of toolkits, the consumer can use and understand to validation of healthcare websites and assess the quality of the information for themselves, before embarking on orthodontic treatment- an important part of the informed consent process. Any healthcare provider should ensure that the online information that they distribute, should be of the highest evidence base, and fulfil any set guidance.
Professor Martyn Cobourne, Research Supervisor, Kings College London
Background: The rapid increase in Internet usage in the United Kingdom has increased the ease of accessibility of health information to the public. Health related toolkits have been advocated to aid both consumers and providers to evaluate the health information that is displayed on dental practice websites. This will aid identification of the validity of this information; it’s adherence to legislation and guidance and encourages ethical advertising, in accordance with national legislation and the General Dental Council Guidance.
Objective: The aims of this research are: to assess the accessibility, usability, reliability and content of orthodontic information advertised on UK dental practice websites; To compare these results to the first 25 ranked dental websites, to assess the quality of orthodontic information; To assess the compliance of these dental websites, with the General Dental Council Guidance on ethical advertising.
Method: The content of 100 United Kingdom based dental practice websites were cited using the Google Search engine, analysed and assessed for their accessibility, usability and reliability, against two validated toolkits, which assess online health information:
I. The DISCERN Toolkit- advocated by The Cochrane Collaboration as an evidence based toolkit
II. The LIDA Instrument- a product by Minervation- A Validated Healthcare toolkit
In addition this data was compared to the top 25 ranked dental practice websites, as cited by the Google Search engine. The LIDA results for accessibility, usability and reliability for each website were compared to a gold standard of 90%, and the compliance to the General Dental Council Guidance, type of orthodontic provider, the treatment type, use of imaging and videography and the use of social media and blogs, assessed.
Results: There were a number of claims made by orthodontic providers, without evidence base, poor adherence to legislation and guidance. Whilst the accessibility to dental practice websites remained high, there was a low reliability associated with the content of the information in the majority of practice websites in the UK. (Kappa = 0.871, 95% CI 0.73 to 0.91 in both instances). In accordance with the General Dental Council Guidance, only 32% of websites included a link to the GDC website, with 17% displaying a clear complaints policy. 11% of practice websites reached the gold standard of 90%. There is a wide range of orthodontic treatment provision and options, with 67% of dental practice websites incorporating imaging and social media as part of their marketing strategies.
Conclusion: The highest ranked dental practice website, did not necessarily correlate to a more reliable practice website for consumer information on treatment options, in terms of accessibility, usability and reliability. There is a growing need for simple objective criteria, based on a combination of toolkits, the consumer can use and understand to validation of healthcare websites and assess the quality of the information for themselves, before embarking on orthodontic treatment- an important part of the informed consent process. Any healthcare provider should ensure that the online information that they distribute, should be of the highest evidence base, and fulfil any set guidance.
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