The quality and reliability of Turkish websites in Google containing information about amputation rehabilitation in the shadow of the earthquake disaster

Abstract

Aim: It is aimed to examine the information content, readability, reliability, and quality levels of websites that provide online information about amputee rehabilitation.
 Methods: On April 1-7, 2023, all websites scanned by typing "amputee rehabilitation" into the Google search engine were examined. The websites are divided into two groups (group 1=hospitals, universities, health-related associations, and other official institutions; group 2=health professionals, news websites, and others) according to the creator of the websites. The information content was determined according to 9 sub-topics in line with the Online Education Programs of the Disaster Rehabilitation Working Group of the Turkish Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Association and the relevant literature. According to the readability formula, Ateşman and Bezirci-Yılmaz; reliability and quality assessments were made with The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) score, DISCERN scale, Global Quality Score (GQS) and Physician's Global Quality Score (PGQS). 
 Results: 109 websites were scanned, and 20 websites were included in the study, 12 (60%) in group 1 and 8 (40%) in group 2. The median of information content was 2,3 (0–7), and none of the websites had full information content. The median of the Ateşman value is 41,1 (29,5-53,0), which is difficult to read; the Bezirci-Yılmaz value was readable at the undergraduate level with a median of 15,5 (9,4-21,6). The JAMA score was 0,8 (0-3) and almost all (95%) of the websites were found to be low reliable (JAMA score ≤ 2). DISCERN score was of very poor quality with a median of 23,55 (16-34). GQS was 1,95 (1-3), and PGQS was 1.7 (1-3) with low quality. Inter-rater consistency for JAMA, GQS, and PGQS was excellent (Cohen’s kappa coefficient= 0,84, 0,85, and 0,75, respectively;p