Evaluation of the quality and reliability of internet information on fissure sealants using JAMA benchmark and HONcode seal

Abstract

Background: The internet is an important tool; however, there are concerns about the quality and reliability of medical information available online. This study aimed to evaluate the quality and reliability of internet information on fissure sealants with different toolkits. Methods: This study was conducted by searching the internet using the Google search engine with questions about fissure sealants. The first thirty websites in search results for each question were evaluated. Videos, duplicate websites, and advertisements were excluded. A total of 270 websites were evaluated by the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) Benchmark and Health on the Net Code of Conduct (HONcode) certification. Results: The results revealed that 35.1% of the websites met JAMA authorship criteria, 19.3% met JAMA attribution criteria, 42.1% met JAMA disclosure criteria, and 19.3% of websites met JAMA currency criteria. The websites from the United States and Australian websites showed the highest JAMA authorship criteria scores, respectively. Moreover, 8.8% of websites met HONcode criteria. One information, two government, and two organization websites met the criteria of this certification. None of the private clinic websites met HONcode criteria. Conclusion: This study showed that the quality and the reliability of web-based information on fissure sealants in pediatric patients are generally inadequate. Both physicians and website editors should be careful and attentive when sharing information on the Internet.