Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania who reviewed online resources for patients with carpal tunnel syndrome have concluded that the information available online “is of limited quality and poor informational value.”
The study was conducted by typing “carpal tunnel syndrome” into 5 popular search engines. Using established clinical practice as their guideline, they assessed the first 50 sites named by each search engine.
Of the 250 sites, 75 were duplicates. Of the remaining 175, the researchers found that 14% provided misleading content, 9% offered “unconventional” information and 31% had content that was based only on opinion or sales pitches.
“Internet users are unlikely to encounter complete, unbiased and conventional information,” states Dr. Pedro Beredjiklian, an assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at the university's medical school and the lead author.
His research also revealed that 63% of the sites were commercial ventures, with half of these (33%) offering products online. “Some Web sites are selling ‘miracle cure’ treatments that have no scientific validity and could worsen a person's condition,” explains Beredjiklian, who thinks physicians have a duty to help patients evaluate the quality of information they will encounter online. He says they can do this by raising issues such as Web site authorship and potential conflicts of interest.
He recommends that doctors include open-ended questions about what patients know about their condition, with time being devoted to “clarifying myths and errors.”
His paper, “Evaluating the source and content of orthopaedic information on the Internet: the case of carpal tunnel syndrome,” was published in the November 2000 issue of the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (jbjs.kfinder.com).
If patients are seeking information about carpal tunnel syndrome, consider directing them to the Web site of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, which provides a patient-friendly (and reliable) brochure (www.aaos.org). Select “patient education,” and then “hand” to find the document.