Quality of Popular Online Resources About Vestibular Migraine

Oren Wei; Pavan S Krishnan; Jenny X Chen; Wesley W Schoo; John P Carey; Desi P Schoo

doi:10.1002/oto2.137

Quality of Popular Online Resources About Vestibular Migraine

OTO Open. 2024 Jul 15;8(3):e137. doi: 10.1002/oto2.137. eCollection 2024 Jul-Sep.

Authors

Oren Wei¹, Pavan S Krishnan², Jenny X Chen¹, Wesley W Schoo^{1

3}, John P Carey¹, Desi P Schoo^{1

4}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Baltimore Maryland USA.
² Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine Richmond Virginia USA.
³ University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine Iowa City Iowa USA.
⁴ Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center Columbus Ohio USA.

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the readability, understandability, actionability, and accuracy of online resources covering vestibular migraine (VM).

Study design: Cross-sectional descriptive study design.

Setting: Digital collection of websites appearing on Google search.

Methods: Google searches were conducted to identify common online resources for VM. We examined readability using the Flesch Reading Ease (FRE) and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level scores, understandability and actionability using the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool (PEMAT), and accuracy by comparing the website contents to the consensus definition of "probable vestibular migraine."

Results: Eleven of the most popular websites were analyzed. Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level averaged at a 13th-grade level (range: 9th-18th). FRE scores averaged 35.5 (range: 9.1-54.4). No website had a readability grade level at the US Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality recommended 5th-grade level or an equivalent FRE score of 90 or greater. Understandability scores varied ranging from 49% to 88% (mean 70%). Actionability scores varied more, ranging from 12% to 87% (mean 44%). There was substantial inter-rater agreement for both PEMAT understandability scoring (mean κ = 0.76, SD = 0.08) and actionability scoring (mean κ = 0.65, SD = 0.08). Three sites included all 3 "probable vestibular migraine" diagnostic criteria as worded in the consensus statement.

Conclusion: The quality of online resources for VM is poor overall in terms of readability, actionability, and agreement with diagnostic criteria.

Keywords: Flesch Reading Ease (FRE); Flesch‐Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL); Internet; Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool (PEMAT); actionability; health literacy; patient education; readability; understandability; vestibular migraine.