Arabic websites assessment of irritable bowel syndrome: How trustworthy are they? A cross‐sectional study

Abstract

Background and Aims Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a chronic GI disorder that affects people all over the world. Patients frequently look for information about their ailments online. Despite being widely and easily accessible, online information's quality and readability are under doubt. In this investigation, we assessed the effectiveness and usability of IBS Arabic websites found on significant search engines.

Methods IBS-related search terms in Arabic were entered into two search engines (Google and YouTube), and the first 30 websites per word from Google, and the first 20 websites per word from YouTube were assessed for eligibility. Eligible Google websites were assessed for quality and readability, while YouTube websites were assessed for quality. Quality was assessed using the DISCERN score and the JAMA Benchmark. Readability was assessed using the automatic Arabic readability index (AARI). Associations between quality, readability, types of websites (medical/nonmedical), and video length were analyzed.

Results For Google: A total of 48 websites were evaluated, mean DISCERN score was 40.4 (SD = 10.28) indicating fair quality. The mean JAMA score was 1.6 (SD = 0.69), with the readability being worse the higher the quality. Medical websites had higher quality scores than nonmedical ones. For YouTube: A total of 34 YouTube videos were evaluated, mean DISCERN score was 34.7 (SD = 7.35), indicating poor quality. The mean JAMA score was 1.4 (SD = 0.72). Medical websites had higher quality scores than nonmedical ones. There was no association between the quality of the videos and their length.

Conclusion The majority of websites were of low to fair quality and required a high degree of readability. As a result, we advise (1) healthcare practitioners to offer helpful websites to their patients, and (2) the development of IBS-related websites under the guidance of experts, with the involvement of patients.