Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the quality of patient information on bariatric surgery in the internet using the modified Ensuring Quality Information for Patients (EQIP) tool.
Methods: Systematic review of information on bariatric surgery in the internet by entering common search terms into five search engines. The top 100 websites of every search term and search engine were assessed using the validated EQIP tool (maximum score, 36), which entails points for content, structure, and identification data of a given website. Websites at or above the 99th percentile were analyzed separately (n = 8).
Results: The median EQIP score of all included websites (n = 463) was 17 (IQR 15-19). While information on the medical problem, the indication for surgery, or the treatment alternatives was present in 84% of all websites, only 10% of the included websites contained adequate information on postoperative complications. Although quantitative information on incidence (37.5%) and treatment of complications (12.5%) was significantly better in the top 99th percentile websites, the content of relevant information such as occurrence and treatment of complications was still very limited.
Conclusion: The overall quality of patient information on bariatric surgery in the internet is relatively poor. Especially incidence of complications and their treatment are rarely reported even on websites with a 99th percentile EQIP score.
Keywords: Bariatric surgery; EQIP; Patient information; Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass; Sleeve gastrectomy.