Assessing Online Material Related to Scoliosis: What Do Patients Want to Know?

INTRODUCTION

No data describe what patients search for related to scoliosis. We aimed to quantify the Google search volume for scoliosis, identify the most sought-after information, and evaluate the associated online resources.

METHODS

Search volume and 'People Also Ask' (PAA) questions were documented for the following terms: scoliosis, idiopathic scoliosis, adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, congenital scoliosis, and neuromuscular scoliosis. PAA questions were categorised based on intent and websites were categorised on source. Quality and readability of the sources were determined using the JAMA criteria, Flesch Reading Ease (FRE) score, and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL).

ETHICAL APPROVAL: This investigation was exempted from Institutional Review Board approval.

RESULTS

Search volume for 'scoliosis' has significantly increased since 2015, with an average monthly search volume of 219,055 (p < 0.0001). 182 PAA questions were extracted. Most were related to technical details, the evaluation of current treatments, or alternative treatments. Academic websites were the most common resource, followed by medical practices and government websites. Only 4% of websites met the criteria for universal readability.

DISCUSSION AND

CONCLUSION

Scoliosis is a relatively common condition and a popular topic among Google users. However, only 4% of online resources provided by Google were written at an appropriate reading level. The lack of patient-friendly resources related to scoliosis is concerning, particularly given that this patient population has been shown to search for information online at twice the rate of others. This data provides a framework for healthcare professionals to begin addressing common questions related to scoliosis in a patient-centred manner.