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The quality of snoring treatment information on the internet

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess the quality of information available on the World Wide Web regarding the treatment of snoring. The main data source was from internet searches using the three most popular search engines using the keywords “snoring treatment”. First page websites were evaluated using the DISCERN instrument (assessing reliability and information given about treatment choices). Of the 135 websites identified, 16 unique websites were evaluated in the study (the remaining being adverts or repetitions). The websites had an average overall score of 2.37 out of 5 (range 1.19–4) and 37.5 % of the websites evaluated scored less than 2 out of 5 overall, suggesting very poor quality information. Highly ranked websites on popular search engines may not contain the most reliable information. Overall the information on the internet regarding the treatment of snoring is poor and patients should be encouraged to discuss their findings with a medical professional.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Otorhinolaryngology, James Cook University Hospital, Marton Road, Middlesbrough, TS4 3BW, UK

    Vik Veer, Glen Alder & Umesh Ullal

Authors
  1. Vik Veer
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  2. Glen Alder
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  3. Umesh Ullal
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Correspondence to Glen Alder.

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Veer, V., Alder, G. & Ullal, U. The quality of snoring treatment information on the internet. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 271, 3319–3323 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-014-3153-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-014-3153-9

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