Evaluating the readability/reliability of online information about medical cannabis for chronic pain скачать в хорошем качестве

Evaluating the readability/reliability of online information about medical cannabis for chronic pain

This poster video is part of "Health is Social: Leveraging the Metaverse to Improve Public Health," the virtual conference of the UConn Center for mHealth and Social Media, May 18-19, 2023. Registration still open: https://mhealth.inchip.uconn.edu/chas... Evaluating the readability and reliability of online information about medical cannabis for chronic pain Reagan Sharp MS1, School of Medicine, West Virginia University Elizabeth Steele MS1, School of Medicine, West Virginia University Patricia Dekeseredy MScN RN, Department of Neurosurgery, West Virginia University Treah Haggerty MD MS, Department of Family Medicine, West Virginia University Cara l Sedney MD MA, Department of Neurosurgery, West Virginia University Background: It is estimated that 80% of people use the internet for health information. People who search for health information on the internet rarely scroll past the first ten websites and usually choose the first results from the search engine. Health literacy broadly refers to the ability of people to understand and translate knowledge to improve their health and is influenced by the reliability and readability of the material. Readability refers to the ease the reader can understand a text. Reliability refers to the accuracy and trustworthiness of the information. While a growing body of knowledge supports medical cannabis (MC) for pain treatment, research generating this information in the USA has been impeded due to federal restrictions and patchy state legislation. With the growing interest in MC as a viable treatment for chronic pain, it is important to know if information viewed online is readable and reliable for the average person seeking information to inform their health decisions regarding MC use. Objective: This project aims to assess the readability and reliability of the information on the internet regarding the use of MC for chronic pain. Methods: An internet search was conducted using Google, Bing, and Yahoo for “medical cannabis for chronic pain.” The top 20 websites in each search were selected for analysis. Duplicates were removed, leaving 44 sites. Readability was assessed using the Flesch–Kincaid grade (FKG) and the Flesch reading ease test (FRE). Reliability was assessed using the DISCERN instrument and the JAMA benchmark criteria. Results: The median FKG level was 15.5 (range 6.5-22.1), meaning readability was appropriate primarily to people with more than a high school education. The FRE median was 28.5 (range 4.8—70.3), indicating that it is difficult to read and best understood by college graduates. Preliminary results of the DISCERN and JAMA scores demonstrate variability in the reliability of the information. Conclusions: Using MC to treat chronic pain can be controversial and confusing, and use continues to be highly stigmatized. There is a need for detailed, easy-to-read evidence-based information regarding MC and chronic pain on the internet. Results from this study show online information on MC for chronic pain is primarily reliable but difficult to read and comprehend for the average health consumer. Sites advertising MC were easy to read but biased. Healthcare providers should encourage patients to seek information from various sources and consider any potential bias in promoting a particular product. In addition, patients should be encouraged to consult with their healthcare provider if the information is unclear or difficult to understand.