BACKGROUND: The internet is a common source of health information for patients and caregivers. To date, content and information quality of YouTube videos on sarcoidosis has not been studied. The aim of our study was to investigate the content and quality of information on sarcoidosis provided by YouTube videos.
METHODS: Of the first 200 results under the search term \"sarcoidosis,\" all English-language videos with content directed at patients were included. Two independent investigators assessed the content of the videos based on 25 predefined key features (content score with 0-25 points), as well as reliability and quality (HONCode score with 0-8 points, DISCERN score with 1-5 points). Misinformation contained in the videos was described qualitatively.
RESULTS: The majority of the 85 included videos were from an academic or governmental source (n = 63, 74%), and median time since upload was 33 months (IQR 10-55). Median video duration was 8 min (IQR 3-13) and had a median of 2,044 views (IQR 504 - 13,203). Quality assessment suggested partially sufficient information: mean HONCode score was 4.4 (SD 0.9) with 91% of videos having a medium quality HONCode evaluation. Mean DISCERN score was 2.3 (SD 0.5). Video content was generally poor with a mean of 10.5 points (SD 0.6). Frequently absent key features included information on the course of disease (6%), presence of substantial geographical variation (7%), and importance of screening for extrapulmonary manifestations (11%). HONCode scores were higher in videos from academic or governmental sources (p = 0.003), particularly regarding \"transparency of sponsorship\" (p < 0.001). DISCERN and content scores did not differ by video category.
CONCLUSIONS: Most YouTube videos present incomplete information reflected in a poor content score, especially regarding screening for extrapulmonary manifestations. Quality was partially sufficient with higher scores in videos from academic or governmental sources, but often missing references and citing specific evidence. Improving patient access to trustworthy and up to date information is needed.

Online healthcare information has the potential to improve health outcomes via the widespread, cost-effective translation of research evidence into practice by healthcare professionals and use by consumers. However, comparatively little is known about how healthcare professionals and consumers engage with healthcare websites, or whether the knowledge that is made available through digital platforms is translated into better health outcomes. To realise the potential of such resources, we argue that an evidence-based framework-grounded in a nuanced understanding of how audiences engage with and use information provided by healthcare websites-is needed. The goal of this paper is to outline a case for the development of a best-practice framework that can guide the development of websites that provide healthcare information to clinicians and consumers. In addition to supporting the design of more effective online resources, a common framework for understanding how better health outcomes can be achieved via digital knowledge translation has the potential to significantly improve patient outcomes in the face of a complex, rapidly changing and resource-constrained healthcare landscape.

BACKGROUND: Oncological patients have high information needs that are often unmet. Patient versions of oncological clinical practice guidelines (PVG) translate clinical practice guidelines into laypersons\' language and might help to address patients\' information needs. Currently, 30 oncological PVG have been published in Germany and more are being developed. Following a large multi-phase project on oncological PVGs in Germany, recommendations to improve use and dissemination of PVG were adopted in a multi-stakeholder workshop.
METHODS: Organisations representing users of PVGs (patients, medical personnel, and multipliers), creators, initiators/funding organisations of PVGs, and organisations with methodological expertise in the development of clinical practice guidelines or in patient health information were invited to participate. The workshop included a World Café for discussion of pre-selected recommendations and structured consensus procedure for of all recommendations. Recommendations with agreement of > 75% were approved, and in case of ≤ 75% agreement, recommendations were rejected.
RESULTS: The workshop took place on 24th April 2023 in Cologne, Germany. Overall, 23 people from 24 organisations participated in the discussion. Of 35 suggested recommendations 28 recommendations reached consensus and were approved. The recommendations referred to the topics dissemination (N = 13), design and format (N = 7), (digital) links (N = 5), digitalisation (N = 4), up-to-dateness (N = 3), and use of the PVG in collaboration between healthcare providers and patients (N = 3).
CONCLUSIONS: The practical recommendations consider various perspectives and can help to improve use and dissemination of oncological PVG in Germany. The inclusion of different stakeholders could facilitate the transfer of the results into practice.

UNASSIGNED: Radiologists frequently lack direct patient contact due to time constraints. Digital medical interview assistants aim to facilitate the collection of health information. In this paper, we propose leveraging conversational agents to realize a medical interview assistant to facilitate medical history taking, while at the same time offering patients the opportunity to ask questions on the examination.
UNASSIGNED: MIA, the digital medical interview assistant, was developed using a person-based design approach, involving patient opinions and expert knowledge during the design and development with a specific use case in collecting information before a mammography examination. MIA consists of two modules: the interview module and the question answering module (Q&A). To ensure interoperability with clinical information systems, we use HL7 FHIR to store and exchange the results collected by MIA during the patient interaction. The system was evaluated according to an existing evaluation framework that covers a broad range of aspects related to the technical quality of a conversational agent including usability, but also accessibility and security.
UNASSIGNED: Thirty-six patients recruited from two Swiss hospitals (Lindenhof group and Inselspital, Bern) and two patient organizations conducted the usability test. MIA was favorably received by the participants, who particularly noted the clarity of communication. However, there is room for improvement in the perceived quality of the conversation, the information provided, and the protection of privacy. The Q&A module achieved a precision of 0.51, a recall of 0.87 and an F-Score of 0.64 based on 114 questions asked by the participants. Security and accessibility also require improvements.
UNASSIGNED: The applied person-based process described in this paper can provide best practices for future development of medical interview assistants. The application of a standardized evaluation framework helped in saving time and ensures comparability of results.

BACKGROUND: Easy Read health documents prepared for people with intellectual disabilities are often generated from Standard Texts. Language in Easy Read versions is typically assumed to be simpler. However, simplification of language may have unintended consequences. This study aimed to explore the differences in language used between Easy Read health material and the Standard Text versions of the same material produced for the general population.
METHODS: Five Easy Read/Standard Text pairs were sampled and analysed using Systemic Functional Linguistics. This addressed: how people with intellectual disabilities and others were represented by language, the author stance in relation to the reader and the overall organisation of the text.
RESULTS: The Easy Read versions often used language that was less empowering and inclusive.
CONCLUSIONS: Increased awareness of author power and better knowledge of the impact of language choice could help to redress these issues.

BACKGROUND: Halitosis, characterized by an undesirable mouth odor, represents a common concern.
OBJECTIVE: This study aims to assess the quality and readability of web-based Arabic health information on halitosis as the internet is becoming a prominent global source of medical information.
METHODS: A total of 300 Arabic websites were retrieved from Google using 3 commonly used phrases for halitosis in Arabic. The quality of the websites was assessed using benchmark criteria established by the Journal of the American Medical Association, the DISCERN tool, and the presence of the Health on the Net Foundation Code of Conduct (HONcode). The assessment of readability (Flesch Reading Ease [FRE], Simple Measure of Gobbledygook, and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level [FKGL]) was conducted using web-based readability indexes.
RESULTS: A total of 127 websites were examined. Regarding quality assessment, 87.4% (n=111) of websites failed to fulfill any Journal of the American Medical Association requirements, highlighting a lack of authorship (authors\' contributions), attribution (references), disclosure (sponsorship), and currency (publication date). The DISCERN tool had a mean score of 34.55 (SD 7.46), with the majority (n=72, 56.6%) rated as moderate quality, 43.3% (n=55) as having a low score, and none receiving a high DISCERN score, indicating a general inadequacy in providing quality health information to make decisions and treatment choices. No website had HONcode certification, emphasizing the concern over the credibility and trustworthiness of these resources. Regarding readability assessment, Arabic halitosis websites had high readability scores, with 90.5% (n=115) receiving an FRE score ≥80, 98.4% (n=125) receiving a Simple Measure of Gobbledygook score <7, and 67.7% (n=86) receiving an FKGL score <7. There were significant correlations between the DISCERN scores and the quantity of words (P<.001) and sentences (P<.001) on the websites. Additionally, there was a significant relationship (P<.001) between the number of sentences and FKGL and FRE scores.
CONCLUSIONS: While readability was found to be very good, indicating that the information is accessible to the public, the quality of Arabic halitosis websites was poor, reflecting a significant gap in providing reliable and comprehensive health information. This highlights the need for improving the availability of high-quality materials to ensure Arabic-speaking populations have access to reliable information about halitosis and its treatment options, tying quality and availability together as critical for effective health communication.

BACKGROUND: Assessment of readability and reliability of online resources for orthopedic patients is an area of growing interest, but there is currently limited reporting on this topic for patellar instability (PI) and medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction (MPFLR).
METHODS: Utilizing the Searchresponse.io dataset, we analyzed inquiries related to PI and MPFLR. Readability and reliability were assessed using the Automated Reading Index, Flesch Reading Ease, and the JAMA benchmark criteria.
RESULTS: Analysis of 363 frequently asked questions from 130 unique websites revealed a predominant interest in fact-based information. Readability assessments indicated that the average grade level of the resources was significantly higher than the 6th grade level and reliability varied between resources.
CONCLUSIONS: Although the internet is an easily accessible resource, we demonstrate that PI and MPFLR resources are written at a significantly higher reading level than is recommended, and there is inconsistent reliability amongst resources with medical practice websites demonstrating the lowest reliability.

Laboratory (lab) tests can assist diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring illness and health. Lab results are one of the most commonly accessible types of personal health information, yet they can be difficult for consumers (e.g., patients, laypeople, citizens) to understand. Consequently, many consumers turn to digital educational resources (e.g., websites, mobile applications) to make sense of their tests and results. In this study, we compared the understandability and readability of four different consumer targeted webpages with information about a commonly ordered blood test called the Complete Blood Count (CBC). The webpages varied in terms of understandability, and only one met the threshold. None of the web pages provided any information about how to respond to lab results. Although all four webpages were quite readable, some were much longer than others. The length of webpages may impact users\' attention, ability to locate information, and determine what is most important. Future work is warranted to better understand users\' information needs and the usability and user experience of these types of websites.

The last few years the Internet has evolved into a prominent information source for many people worldwide. Latest research has shown that an ever increasing number of citizens and patients go online in order to access health information and seek support in managing their health, including understanding their condition, adopting life-saving lifestyle adjustments and keeping up with treatment or aftercare guidelines. Due to this rise on the demand of online health information, health-related sites have increased substantially, with each one of them striving to maintain the most comprehensive and reliable source of health and medical information on the Internet. This paper presents a survey conducted among Greek population aiming at exploring participants general attitudes towards using the Internet to access health information as well as their views regarding a specific Greek health-related website, namely Iatronet. To this end, an online Greek version of eHealth Impact Questionnaire has been used which was developed using RedCAP platform.

BACKGROUND: Norway has a high use of e-health.
METHODS: This paper summarizes and discusses the published data from the Tromsø 7 Study, conducted between 2015 and 2016, focusing on e-health utilization in the Norwegian population aged 40 and above.
RESULTS: More than half of the participants reported using the Internet for health purposes. The main channels for obtaining information were search engines, apps, social media platforms, and online videos. The respondents frequently acted upon the information obtained online, and online health information influenced decisions regarding healthcare utilization and treatment management. Most respondents indicated a positive reaction to the information found online.
CONCLUSIONS: The Tromsø 7 Study highlights the widespread utilization of e-health in Norway. The study also emphasizes the significant impact of e-health on individuals\' decision-making processes related to their health. The findings suggest that the use of e-health overall does not replace the use of traditional health services, but rather functions as a supplement. Most respondents report positive reactions to online health information, highlighting the importance and relevance of e-health in modern healthcare practices.