Accuracy and completeness of patient information in organic World-Wide Web search for Mohs surgery: a prospective cross-sectional multirater study using consensus criteria

Background: Many patients obtain medical information from the Internet. Inaccurate information affects patient care and perceptions.

Objective: To assess the accuracy and completeness of information regarding Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) on the Internet.

Methods: Prospective cross-sectional Internet-based study reviewing 30 consecutive organic results from three U.S. urban areas on "Mohs surgery" using Google. Text was assessed using a consensus-derived rating scale that quantified necessary and additional or supplementary information about MMS, as well as wrong information. Websites were classified according to type of sponsor.

Results: Ninety-one percent of sites conveyed basic information about MMS. There was variation in the mean amount of additional information items (range 0-9) according to website type: 8.4, medical societies; 6.7, academic practices; 5.9, web-based medical information resources; 4.7, private practices; and 4.4, other (p < .001). Cumulatively, academic practices and professional societies (mean 7.42) provided more additional information than private practices and web-based sources (mean 5.11, p < .001). There were no differences based on geographic location. Wrong items included misspelling Mohs (10%), indicating that only plastic surgeons could reconstruct (7%), and noting MMS was never cost-effective (7%).

Conclusions: High-ranking websites provide basic information about MMS. Academic practice and professional society sites provide more-comprehensive information, but private practice sites and web-based medical information sources also provide additional information.