Googling endometriosis: a systematic review of information available on the Internet

Martin Hirsch, Aggarwal S, Shivani Aggarwal, Barker C, Claire Barker, Colin J. Davis, Davis CJ, James M N Duffy, James MN Duffy
American journal of obstetrics and gynecology · 2016 · vol. 216(5) , pp. 451–458.e1 · doi:10.1016/j.ajog.2016.11.1007 · PMID:27840143 · W2549638186
review OA: closed CC0 ⤵ 34 in-corpus citations
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⚙ AI-generated summary by claude@2026-06, 2026-06-06 ⓘ

This systematic review analyzed the quality and content of internet information regarding endometriosis.

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Abstract

BackgroundThe demand for health information online is increasing rapidly without clear governance.ObjectiveWe aim to evaluate the credibility, quality, readability, and accuracy of online patient information concerning endometriosis.Study designWe searched 5 popular Internet search engines: aol.com, ask.com, bing.com, google.com, and yahoo.com. We developed a search strategy in consultation with patients with endometriosis, to identify relevant World Wide Web pages. Pages containing information related to endometriosis for women with endometriosis or the public were eligible. Two independent authors screened the search results. World Wide Web pages were evaluated using validated instruments across 3 of the 4 following domains: (1) credibility (White Paper instrument; range 0-10); (2) quality (DISCERN instrument; range 0-85); and (3) readability (Flesch-Kincaid instrument; range 0-100); and (4) accuracy (assessed by a prioritized criteria developed in consultation with health care professionals, researchers, and women with endometriosis based on the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology guidelines [range 0-30]). We summarized these data in diagrams, tables, and narratively.ResultsWe identified 750 World Wide Web pages, of which 54 were included. Over a third of Web pages did not attribute authorship and almost half the included pages did not report the sources of information or academic references. No World Wide Web page provided information assessed as being written in plain English. A minority of web pages were assessed as high quality. A single World Wide Web page provided accurate information: evidentlycochrane.net. Available information was, in general, skewed toward the diagnosis of endometriosis. There were 16 credible World Wide Web pages, however the content limitations were infrequently discussed. No World Wide Web page scored highly across all 4 domains.ConclusionIn the unlikely event that a World Wide Web page reports high-quality, accurate, and credible health information it is typically challenging for a lay audience to comprehend. Health care professionals, and the wider community, should inform women with endometriosis of the risk of outdated, inaccurate, or even dangerous information online. The implementation of an information standard will incentivize providers of online information to establish and adhere to codes of conduct.

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Condition tags

endometriosis

MeSH descriptors

Consumer Health Information Endometriosis Internet Search Engine Authorship Comprehension Female Humans

Citation neighborhood

Papers in the corpus that this work cites (lower rings, blue) and that cite this one (upper rings, green). Dot size scales with the paper's in-corpus citation count — bigger dot = more influential within the endo/adeno field. Click a dot to open that paper. [ expand to 2 hops ] — adds papers reached through this work's immediate citers/citees. Heavier; up to 60 extra dots.

References (34)

Cited by (37)

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europepmc
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License: CC0 · commercial use OK