Patient-oriented websites on colorectal cancer screening vary in accuracy, quality and readability, according to a recent study in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. The researchers analyzed 20 websites, which were selected based on Google rank.
Here's what you need to know:
1. The mean website accuracy score was 26 out of 44 possible points. The highest-scoring websites were cancer.org, bowelcanceraustralia.org and uptodate.com.
2. Most websites did not address polyp surveillance.
3. The mean reading level was 11th grade, making the majority of the websites too difficult to understand for the general public. Only 30 percent of websites had a reading level acceptable for the general public.
4. The researchers found no correlation between Google rank and website accuracy.
5. The researchers conclude that the "poor correlation between quality and Google ranking suggests that screenees will miss out on high-quality websites using standard search strategies."