bims-librar Biomed News
on Biomedical librarianship
Issue of 2023–01–08
nineteen papers selected by
Thomas Krichel, Open Library Society
  1. Determining COVID-19's impact on an academic medical library's literature search service.
  2. Interlibrary loan and document delivery in North American health sciences libraries during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.
  3. Marketing methods for electronic resources in medical libraries: a study on the application of the analytical hierarchy process.
  4. Rigor and reproducibility instruction in academic medical libraries.
  5. Conforming collections: assessing medical and allied health collections using Doody's Core Titles.
  6. Imagine all you want, but….
  7. Jot: guiding journal selection with suitability metrics.
  8. The veteran-centered care conferences: interprofessional education and community involvement facilitated by the health sciences librarian.
  9. Needs assessment of nurse researchers through a research lifecycle framework.
  10. Text mining applications to support health library practice: A case study on marijuana legalization Twitter analytics.
  11. The National Rehabilitation Information Center (NARIC).
  12. GIBLIB (4.0).
  13. A comparative evaluation of three point-of-care tools by registered nurses.
  14. Is a one-size-fits-all '12-month rule' appropriate when it comes to the last search date in systematic reviews?
  15. Unsupervised title and abstract screening for systematic review: a retrospective case-study using topic modelling methodology.
  16. An automated method for developing search strategies for systematic review using Natural Language Processing (NLP).
  17. Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Quantitative Assessment of Online Patient Education Resources.
  18. A Comprehensive Assessment of Cleft Lip and Palate Websites and Patient Education Information.
  19. Online information for incisional hernia repair: What are patients reading?
  1. J Med Libr Assoc. 2022 Dec 08. 110(3): 316-322
    Determining COVID-19's impact on an academic medical library's literature search service.
    Courtney Wombles, Kelsey Grabeel, David Petersen.
       Objective: At many institutions, literature search services are an important aspect of health science librarianship. This exploratory study analyzes how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the use of an academic hospital medical library's literature search service.
    Methods: To evaluate the pandemic's impact on literature searching at The University of Tennessee Medical Center's Preston Medical Library, data were analyzed for changes from the year before the pandemic (March 1, 2019 to February 29, 2020) to the first year during the pandemic (March 1st, 2020 to February 28, 2021). This was accomplished using LibWizard, a library feedback and assessment application, to review literature search data during the two periods. Variables of interest included total searches, purpose of searches, affiliation of the searcher, and searches with a pandemic-related research question.
    Results: A 36.6% drop in literature search service usage was reported from the pre-pandemic year to the during-pandemic year. There was a 55.3% decrease in searches intended for research, as well as significant decreases in the number of searches requested by all patron affiliations. After March 2020, 10% of all searches concerned a COVID-related topic.
    Conclusion: The overall decrease in literature search requests, decrease in research searches, decrease in searches among all patron affiliations, and increase in searches on a COVID-related topic suggest that healthcare worker and institutional priorities changed during the pandemic. The results revealed research interests during the first year of the pandemic, as well as an overall change in library service functionality.
    Keywords:  COVID-19 pandemic; health science libraries; library services; literature searching
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.5195/jmla.2022.1447
  2. J Med Libr Assoc. 2022 Dec 08. 110(3): 348-357
    Interlibrary loan and document delivery in North American health sciences libraries during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.
    Jennifer K Lloyd, Kristine M Alpi, Margaret A Hoogland, Priscilla L Stephenson, Elizabeth Meyer.
       Objective: The study purpose was to understand how early months of the COVID-19 pandemic altered interlibrary loan (ILL) and document delivery (DD) in North American health science libraries (HSLs), specifically the decision-making and workflow adjustments associated with accessing their own collections and obtaining content not available via ILL.
    Methods: Researchers distributed an online 26-question survey through 24 health science library email lists from January 6-February 7, 2021. Respondents reported their library's ILL and DD activities from March-August 2020, including ILL/DD usage and policies, collection access, decision-making, and workflow adjustments. In addition to calculating frequencies, cross-tabulation and statistical tests were performed to test a priori potential associations. Two researchers independently and thematically analyzed responses to the 2 open-ended questions and reached consensus on themes.
    Results: Hospital libraries represented 52% (n=226/431) of respondents, along with 42% academic (n=179) and 6% (n=26) multi-type or other special. Only 1% (n=5) closed completely with no remote services, but many, 45% (n=194), ceased ILL of print materials. More than half (n=246/423; 58%) agreed that ILL requests likely to be filled from print remained unfilled more than is typical. Open-ended questions yielded 5 themes on ILL/DD staffing, setup, and systems; 6 on impacts for libraries and library users.
    Conclusion: Lack of communication regarding collection availability and staffing resulted in delayed or unfilled requests. Hospital and academic libraries made similar decisions about continuing services but reported different experiences in areas such as purchasing digital content. Hybrid ILL/DD workflows may continue for managing these services.
    Keywords:  Access services; COVID-19; document delivery; health sciences libraries; hospital libraries; interlibrary loan; print collections
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.5195/jmla.2022.1452
  3. J Med Libr Assoc. 2022 Dec 08. 110(3): 332-339
    Marketing methods for electronic resources in medical libraries: a study on the application of the analytical hierarchy process.
    Rogheyeh Eskrootchi, Mohammad Ali Boroumand.
       Objective: Paired with the high cost of providing access to electronic resources in medical libraries, the inefficient use of these resources highlights the need for more efforts to promote these resources than ever before. In this study, electronic resource marketing methods were prioritized and the best strategies were determined using the analytical hierarchy process (AHP).
    Methods: Using an analytical survey of officials of medical libraries, the most common methods for marketing electronic resources in libraries were determined and divided into categories of strategies. Five important criteria for marketing strategies were also selected. Using the analytical hierarchy process, pairwise comparisons were performed between the alternatives (i.e., strategies), which were evaluated against the selected criteria. Data analysis was performed using Expert Choice 11 software.
    Results: A total of 44 electronic resource marketing methods were identified and categorized into 4 strategies. On average, 43.9% of these methods were used by the surveyed libraries. The analytical hierarchy process showed that simplicity was the most important criterion and that communication networks were the best electronic resource marketing strategy. Home/off-campus access, group training, library search stations, and marketing by individual librarians were the most preferred methods of marketing electronic resources.
    Conclusion: With the availability of a variety of different methods for marketing electronic resources, medical libraries must select strategies based on important criteria depending on the characteristics of the library, librarians, and users. Thus, the analytical hierarchy process can be an effective and practical solution to decision-making by mathematically prioritizing the selection of the best strategies from a set of alternatives based on differentially weighted criteria.
    Keywords:  AHP; Databases as topic; information services; libraries; library materials; library services; marketing; marketing of health services; medical
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.5195/jmla.2022.1351
  4. J Med Libr Assoc. 2022 Dec 08. 110(3): 281-293
    Rigor and reproducibility instruction in academic medical libraries.
    Fred Willie Zametkin LaPolla, Caitlin J Bakker, Nina Exner, Tisha Montnech, Alisa Surkis, Hao Ye.
       Background: Concerns over scientific reproducibility have grown in recent years, leading the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to require researchers to address these issues in research grant applications. Starting in 2020, training grants were required to provide a plan for educating trainees in rigor and reproducibility. Academic medical centers have responded with different solutions to fill this educational need. As experienced instructors with expertise in topics relating to reproducibility, librarians can play a prominent role in providing trainings, classes, and events to educate investigators and trainees, and bolstering reproducibility in their communities.
    Case Presentations: This special report summarizes efforts at five institutions to provide education in reproducibility to biomedical and life sciences researchers. Our goal is to expand awareness of the range of approaches in providing reproducibility services in libraries.
    Conclusions: Reproducibility education by medical librarians can take many forms. These specific programs in reproducibility education build upon libraries' existing collaborations, with funder mandates providing a major impetus. Collaborator needs shaped the exact type of educational or other reproducibility support and combined with each library's strengths to yield a diversity of offerings based on capacity and interest. As demand for and complexity of reproducibility education increases due to new institutional and funder mandates, reproducibility education will merit special attention.
    Keywords:  NIH requirements; education; library instruction; replicability; reproducibility; rigor and reproducibility
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.5195/jmla.2022.1443
  5. J Med Libr Assoc. 2022 Dec 08. 110(3): 340-347
    Conforming collections: assessing medical and allied health collections using Doody's Core Titles.
    Efren Torres, Zipporah Dery, Raquel Samar, Marlon Gado.
      This study assessed the print collection of an Asian academic medical library using list-checking. The library's book collection was matched to Doody's Core Titles (DCT) subspecialties to identify strong and weak subject areas and understand temporal trends from 2014 to 2020. Basic sciences and nursing were the strongest subspecialties from 2018 to 2020, with many subjects having 100% matches, likely because most academic programs share the same basic sciences foundation subjects and nursing collections had been developed for many years as a long-standing program of the institution. Associated health-related disciplines was the weakest subspecialty. These subjects need to be prioritized in collection development. All subspecialties exhibited an increasing trend of matching between 2014 and 2020. Electronic books were included in the matching to DCT 2020; however, the match was low compared to print only or both print and electronic titles. DCT title matching can not only identify gaps in library collections that need to be filled but also point toward opportunities to develop strong and varied collections in medicine and allied health.
    Keywords:  Doody's Core Titles; collection development; match; medical and allied health collection; trend
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.5195/jmla.2022.1114
  6. J Med Libr Assoc. 2022 Dec 08. 110(3): 372-375
    Imagine all you want, but….
    Taran Ley.
      3D printing is an emerging trend in medical care [1]. Medical libraries can play a key role in advancing this new technology [2]. Using a National Library of Medicine (NLM) grant, the medical library was able to purchase a basic 3D printer to create models for patient care and medical education. Despite a slow rollout for the new technology, there was a strong need once word of mouth spread about the new 3D printer. The one-year grant cycle, as well as the following three years, provide supporting evidence that even a basic 3D printer can advance patient care for clinicians and improve medical education for students [3]. The popularity of the technology, clinical support and demand, as well as student interest can drive the program forward on its own and support the medical library's mission to improve community care and create an environment of enhanced learning [1].
    Keywords:  3D printing; medical curriculum; medical models; patient education; technology
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.5195/jmla.2022.1415
  7. J Med Libr Assoc. 2022 Dec 08. 110(3): 376-380
    Jot: guiding journal selection with suitability metrics.
    Stephen G Gaffney, Jeffrey P Townsend.
      Researchers grapple with a challenging and consequential decision each time they choose a journal for manuscript submission. There are several online tools that attempt to identify appropriate journals for a manuscript, but each of these tools has shortcomings in terms of the journal data they provide and the exploration functionality they offer-and not one of these tools is open source. Jot is a free and open-source web application that matches manuscripts in the fields of biomedicine and life sciences with suitable journals, based on a manuscript's title, abstract, and (optionally) citations. Jot gathers a wealth of data on journal quality, impact, fit, and open access options that can be explored through a dashboard of linked, interactive visualizations.
    Keywords:  Journal selection; bibliometrics; data integration; open access publishing; open source software; scientific publishing; visualization; web application
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.5195/jmla.2022.1499
  8. J Med Libr Assoc. 2022 Dec 08. 110(3): 365-371
    The veteran-centered care conferences: interprofessional education and community involvement facilitated by the health sciences librarian.
    Karen S Alcorn, Sarah K McCord, Sheila M Seed, Tammy Gravel, Amanda M Morrill.
       Background: Veterans have a variety of unique healthcare needs and receive care from both the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and private healthcare systems. Because healthcare students will likely treat veterans at some time during their career, it is important they gain exposure to working with veterans during their professional degree programs.
    Case Presentation: This case report presents the development of an annual Veteran-Centered Care Conference (VCCC) at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. The VCCC included a faculty librarian who led a multi-disciplinary team that planned and coordinated each event. Speakers and participants included university students and faculty from multiple healthcare disciplines, as well as representatives from the VA, veterans' advocacy groups, and community members (including many veterans). The purpose of the VCCC was to raise awareness of the healthcare needs of contemporary veterans. The goal of the VCCC was to improve healthcare provided to veterans by enhancing civilian health professions students' knowledge of the potential effects of military service on a person's health.
    Conclusion: After four successful events covering such topics as PTSD, specific health concerns of women veterans, substance use disorder, and homelessness, the VCCC was canceled, primarily due to low pre-registration. Examples of lessons learned and future possibilities for the VCCC and the patient-centered care conference format are discussed. This report is of particular importance given the many years the United States has been at war in the Middle East and the recent withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan.
    Keywords:  Veterans; case-based learning; health care; interprofessional collaboration; interprofessional education; story-based learning; veterans'
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.5195/jmla.2022.1491
  9. J Med Libr Assoc. 2022 Dec 08. 110(3): 306-315
    Needs assessment of nurse researchers through a research lifecycle framework.
    Robert Janke, Kathy Lynn Rush, Katherine Miller.
       Objective: Health sciences librarian roles are evolving to better meet the needs of faculty. This study explores nursing faculty needs at the University of British Columbia through the research lifecycle framework of planning, conducting, disseminating, and assessing the impact of their research.
    Methods: A mixed methods survey study with Likert scale, multiple-choice, or ordinal ranking-scale questions and six open-response questions was conducted. The format was a web-based Qualtrics survey; participants had approximately three weeks to respond.
    Results: Nursing faculty identified the dissemination phase as benefiting most from library support prioritizing reference management and archiving research data as the top needs in that phase. Assessing impact skills such as citation analysis and Altmetrics training was ranked second. The Planning phase was ranked third with systematic review and literature review support most needed. The Conducting phase was identified as the phase where they needed the least support.
    Conclusion: Understanding the needs of researchers and enhancing scholar productivity is vital to offering responsive library research services. Across the research lifecycle, nursing faculty identified reference management, data management, metrics evaluation, systematic reviews, and literature reviews as the key areas for which they need support.
    Keywords:  faculty; librarians; libraries; medical; nursing; nursing research
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.5195/jmla.2022.1461
  10. Health Info Libr J. 2023 Jan 04.
    Text mining applications to support health library practice: A case study on marijuana legalization Twitter analytics.
    Janice Y Kung, Kynan Ly, Ali Shiri.
       BACKGROUND: Twitter is rich in data for text and data analytics research, with the ability to capture trends.
    OBJECTIVES: This study examines Canadian tweets on marijuana legalization and terminology used. Presented as a case study, Twitter analytics will demonstrate the varied applications of how this kind of research method may be used to inform library practice.
    METHODS: Twitter API was used to extract a subset of tweets using seven relevant hashtags. Using open-source programming tools, the sampled tweets were analysed between September to November 2018, identifying themes, frequently used terms, sentiment, and co-occurring hashtags.
    RESULTS: More than 1,176,000 tweets were collected. The most popular hashtag co-occurrence, two hashtags appearing together, was #cannabis and #CdnPoli. There was a high variance in the sentiment analysis of all collected tweets but most scores had neutral sentiment.
    DISCUSSION: The case study presents text-mining applications relevant to help make informed decisions in library practice through service analysis, quality analysis, and collection analysis.
    CONCLUSIONS: Findings from sentiment analysis may determine usage patterns from users. There are several ways in which libraries may use text mining to make evidence-informed decisions such as examining all possible terminologies used by the public to help inform comprehensive evidence synthesis projects and build taxonomies for digital libraries and repositories.
    Keywords:  data mining; evaluation; information services; social media; text mining; thesaurus
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1111/hir.12473
  11. J Med Libr Assoc. 2022 Dec 08. 110(3): 388-391
    The National Rehabilitation Information Center (NARIC).
    Marilia Y Antunez.
      The National Rehabilitation Information Center (NARIC). 8400 Corporate Drive, Suite 500, Landover, MD 20785; https://naric.com/; free.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.5195/jmla.2022.1515
  12. J Med Libr Assoc. 2022 Dec 08. 110(3): 396-398
    GIBLIB (4.0).
    Heather Healy.
      GIBLIB (4.0). GIBLIB, 811 W 7Th Street, 13th Floor, Los Angeles, CA; https://www.giblib.com/; Contact for institutional pricing https://www.giblib.com/services/institutional-pricing; Individual pricing structure: Basic, Standard, and Premium plans. Compatible with PC, Mac, tablet, and mobile.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.5195/jmla.2022.1466
  13. J Med Libr Assoc. 2022 Dec 08. 110(3): 323-331
    A comparative evaluation of three point-of-care tools by registered nurses.
    Annie Nickum, Rebecca Raszewski, Susan C Vonderheid.
       Objective: This study compared three point-of-care tools (PoCTs) to determine which PoCT was rated highest based on key features and characteristics by registered nurses.
    Methods: The PoCTs reviewed were Nursing Reference Center Plus, ClinicalKey for Nursing, and UpToDate. Nurses were asked to use each PoCT to answer three clinical questions and then rate their experience based on the following areas: currency, relevancy, layout, navigation, labeling, and use of filters. They were also asked to indicate their familiarity with each PoCT, their overall opinions, and demographic information.
    Results: Seventy-six nurses completed the entire survey. Ratings of PoCTs did not differ by participant characteristics. Participants were most familiar with UpToDate, and average ratings were similar across all three PoCTs. Answers to open-ended questions suggested that nurses' experiences searching and locating relevant information to address clinical questions varied and that brand recognition might have impacted preference.
    Discussion: None of the PoCTs was significantly preferred over the others, nor received high ratings, which suggests that organizations need to survey their nurses to determine which PoCT is preferred by their staff. Findings also suggest that institutional priorities can guide the decision whether a library should license multiple PoCTs, nursing, and/or non-nursing specific PoCTs. Research is needed to understand how PoCTs could better meet the information needs of registered nurses. Librarians should learn more about what types of information nurses are seeking and explore opportunities to educate nurses on how to better utilize PoCTs for their practice.
    Keywords:  Point-of-care tools; evidence-based nursing; evidence-based practice; information needs
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.5195/jmla.2022.1388
  14. BMJ Evid Based Med. 2022 Dec 09. pii: bmjebm-2022-112060. [Epub ahead of print]
    Is a one-size-fits-all '12-month rule' appropriate when it comes to the last search date in systematic reviews?
    Gillian Stokes, Katy Sutcliffe, James Thomas.
      
    Keywords:  Evidence-Based Practice; Health policy; Publishing; Systematic Reviews as Topic
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjebm-2022-112060
  15. Syst Rev. 2023 Jan 03. 12(1): 1
    Unsupervised title and abstract screening for systematic review: a retrospective case-study using topic modelling methodology.
    Agnes Natukunda, Leacky K Muchene.
       BACKGROUND: The importance of systematic reviews in collating and summarising available research output on a particular topic cannot be over-emphasized. However, initial screening of retrieved literature is significantly time and labour intensive. Attempts at automating parts of the systematic review process have been made with varying degree of success partly due to being domain-specific, requiring vendor-specific software or manually labelled training data. Our primary objective was to develop statistical methodology for performing automated title and abstract screening for systematic reviews. Secondary objectives included (1) to retrospectively apply the automated screening methodology to previously manually screened systematic reviews and (2) to characterize the performance of the automated screening methodology scoring algorithm in a simulation study.
    METHODS: We implemented a Latent Dirichlet Allocation-based topic model to derive representative topics from the retrieved documents' title and abstract. The second step involves defining a score threshold for classifying the documents as relevant for full-text review or not. The score is derived based on a set of search keywords (often the database retrieval search terms). Two systematic review studies were retrospectively used to illustrate the methodology.
    RESULTS: In one case study (helminth dataset), [Formula: see text] sensitivity compared to manual title and abstract screening was achieved. This is against a false positive rate of [Formula: see text]. For the second case study (Wilson disease dataset), a sensitivity of [Formula: see text] and specificity of [Formula: see text] were achieved.
    CONCLUSIONS: Unsupervised title and abstract screening has the potential to reduce the workload involved in conducting systematic review. While sensitivity of the methodology on the tested data is low, approximately [Formula: see text] specificity was achieved. Users ought to keep in mind that potentially low sensitivity might occur. One approach to mitigate this might be to incorporate additional targeted search keywords such as the indexing databases terms into the search term copora. Moreover, automated screening can be used as an additional screener to the manual screeners.
    Keywords:  Abstract screening; Automated systematic review; Latent Dirichlet Allocation; Topic modelling; Unsupervised learning
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1186/s13643-022-02163-4
  16. MethodsX. 2023 ;10 101935
    An automated method for developing search strategies for systematic review using Natural Language Processing (NLP).
    Antwi Effah Kwabena, Owusu-Banahene Wiafe, Boakye-Danquah John, Asare Bernard, Frimpong A F Boateng.
      The design and implementation of systematic reviews and meta-analyses are often hampered by high financial costs, significant time commitment, and biases due to researchers' familiarity with studies. We proposed and implemented a fast and standardized method for search term selection using Natural Language Processing (NLP) and co-occurrence networks to identify relevant search terms to reduce biases in conducting systematic reviews and meta-analyses.•The method was implemented using Python packaged dubbed Ananse, which is benchmarked on the search terms strategy for naïve search proposed by Grames et al. (2019) written in "R". Ananse was applied to a case example towards finding search terms to implement a systematic literature review on cumulative effect studies on forest ecosystems.•The software automatically corrected and classified 100% of the duplicate articles identified by manual deduplication. Ananse was applied to the cumulative effects assessment case study, but it can serve as a general-purpose, open-source software system that can support extensive systematic reviews within a relatively short period with reduced biases.•Besides generating keywords, Ananse can act as middleware or a data converter for integrating multiple datasets into a database.
    Keywords:  Data Deduplication; Evidence Synthesis; Search Strategy; Search Terms; Software Implementation; Systematic Literature Review
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mex.2022.101935
  17. Iowa Orthop J. 2022 ;42(2): 98-106
    Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Quantitative Assessment of Online Patient Education Resources.
    Trevor R Gulbrandsen, Mary Kate Skalitzky, Sarah E Ryan, Burke Gao, Alan G Shamrock, Timothy S Brown, Jacob M Elkins.
       Background: Patients often turn to the online resources to learn about orthopedic procedures. As the rate of joint arthroplasty is projected to increase, the corresponding interest in relevant online education material will increase as well. The American Medical Association (AMA) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommend that publicly available online health information be written at the 6th grade or lower reading level to be fully understood by the average adult in the United States. Additionally, educational resources should be written such that readers can process key information (understandability) or identify available actions to take (actionability). The purpose of this study was to quantify the readability, understandability, and actionability of online patient educational materials regarding total knee arthroplasty (TKA).
    Methods: The most common Google™ search term utilized by the American public was determined to be "knee replacement". Subsequently two independent online searches (Google.com) were performed. From the top 50 search results, websites were included if directed at educating patients regarding TKA. Non-text websites (audiovisual), articles (news/research/industry), and unrelated resources were excluded. Readability was quantified using the following valid objective algorithms: Flesch-Kincaid Grade-Level (FKGL), Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) grade, Coleman-Liau Index (CLI), and Gunning-Fog Index (GFI). PEMAT was utilized to assess understandability and actionability (0-100%; score ≥70% indicates acceptable scoring). The relationship between search rank with FKGL and PEMAT scores was quantified.
    Results: A total of 34 (68%) unique websites met inclusion criteria. The mean FKGL, SMOG, CLI, and GFI was 11.8±1.6, 11.1±1.2, 11.9±1.4, and 14.7±1.6, respectively. None of the websites scored within the acceptable NIH/AMA recommended reading levels. Mean understandability and actionability scores were 54.9±12.1 and 30.3±22.0. Only 5.9% (n=2) and 9.2% (n=1) of websites met the ≥70% threshold for understandability and actionability. Only 29.4% (n=10) sources used common language and only 26.9% (n=9) properly defined complicated medical terms. Based on website type, the mean understandability scores for academic institution, private practice, and health information publisher websites were 57.2±8.8%, 52.6±11.1%, and 54.3±15.3% (p=0.67). Readability (rho: -0.07; p=0.69), understandability (rho: -0.02; p=0.93), and actionability (rho: -0.22; p=0.23) scores were not associated with Google™ search rank.
    Conclusion: TKA materials scored poorly with respect to readability, understandability, and actionability. None of the resources scored within the recommended AMA/NIH reading levels. Only 5.9% scored adequately on understandability measures. Substantial efforts are needed to improve online resources to optimize patient comprehension and facilitate informed decision-making. Level of Evidence: III.
    Keywords:  health literacy; knee arthroplasty; patient education
  18. Cleft Palate Craniofac J. 2023 Jan 05. 10556656221149127
    A Comprehensive Assessment of Cleft Lip and Palate Websites and Patient Education Information.
    Pranit R Sunkara, Lauren E Powell, Joseph D Quick, George H Landis.
       OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to evaluate online educational resources on cleft lip and palate teams.
    DESIGN: A Cross-Sectional Study.
    SETTING: An International, Multi-Institutional Study.
    PARTICIPANTS: All American Cleft Palate and Craniofacial Association-approved teams with websites.
    INTERVENTIONS: None.
    MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Websites were assessed for patient education and support content. Affiliation between presence of materials and U.S. Newsweek Top 100 Hospitals was also assessed.
    RESULTS: 187 teams were included. Presence of educational videos were available in 29.4% of websites, educational infographics in 18.2%, written materials in 66.8%, perioperative instructions in 19.3%, diagnosis information in 34.8% and treatment information in 63.1%. Information on team members were available on 77.0% of websites, resources in languages other than English in 38.5%, and support group resources in 25.7%. Cleft lip and palate diagnosis information was significantly associated with geographic region, with the largest impact from the West region (P = .03). There was a significant difference between teams affiliated with U.S. Newsweek Top 100 hospitals: Top 100 hospitals had a higher presence of educational infographics, perioperative instructions, definitions, diagnosis, and treatment (P < .01). There was no significant difference between presence of educational videos (P = .37).
    CONCLUSION: While many websites had basic educational materials, very few included detailed information on peri-operative planning, as well as additional forms of information including videos, infographics, and non-English languages. Providing comprehensive patient education materials online is an important supplement for patients with cleft lip and palate and should be prioritized by cleft teams.
    Keywords:  counseling; craniofacial morphology; palatal development; parental perception; social support
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1177/10556656221149127
  19. Surgeon. 2022 Dec 30. pii: S1479-666X(22)00137-8. [Epub ahead of print]
    Online information for incisional hernia repair: What are patients reading?
    Armaun D Rouhi, Yazid K Ghanem, Elizabeth Bader, Gerard D Hoeltzel, Amit R T Joshi, Noel N Williams, Kristoffel R Dumon.
       PURPOSE: Patients increasingly access online materials for health-related information. Using validated assessment tools, we aim to assess the quality and readability of online information for patients considering incisional hernia (IH) repair.
    METHODS: The top three online search engines (Google, Bing, Yahoo) were searched in July 2022 for "Incisional hernia repair" and "Surgical hernia repair". Included websites were classified as academic, hospital-affiliated, commercial, and unspecified. The quality of information was assessed using the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmark criteria (0-4), DISCERN instrument (16-80), and the presence of Health On the Net code (HONcode) certification. Readability was assessed using the Flesch Reading Ease (FRE) and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL) tests.
    RESULTS: 25 unique websites were included. The average JAMA and DISCERN scores of all websites were 0.68 ± 1.02 and 36.50 ± 10.91, respectively. Commercial sites showed a significantly higher DISCERN mean score than academic sites (p = 0.034), while no significant difference was demonstrated between other website categories. 3 (12%) websites reported HONcode certification and had significantly higher JAMA (p = 0.016) and DISCERN (p = 0.045) mean scores than sites without certification. Average FRE and FKGL scores were 39.84 ± 13.11 and 10.62 ± 1.76, respectively, corresponding to college- and high school-level comprehensibility.
    CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest online patient resources on IH repair are of poor overall quality and may not be comprehensible to the public. Patients accessing internet resources for additional information on IH repair should be made aware of these inadequacies and directed to sites bearing HONcode certification.
    Keywords:  Hernia repair surgery; Incisional hernia; Online information; Patient education; Quality; Readability
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.surge.2022.12.002
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