Evaluation of the quality of online colon cancer patient information in the Arabic language

Background and Study Aims: With the ever-expanding reach of Internet information, more people than ever are using online searches to obtain medical information, often before consulting a medical professional. This study aims to assess the quality of available Internet information on colon cancer in the Arabic language. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed to assess the quality of Arabic language websites on colon cancer in Arabic using the DISCERN instrument, a validated 16-item questionnaire, and our assessment of the correctness, completeness, and transparency of each website. Results: A total of 24 websites were identified, of which 12 (50%) were commercial, 9 (37.5%) were university-sponsored, 2 (8.3%) were governmental, and 1 (4.2%) was from a nonprofit organization. The DISCERN instrument had an overall mean score of 42.5 (fair) out of a maximum score of 80, with 50% of commercial websites scoring 41 or below (poor), and only 11% scoring in the good range. Two-thirds (66.7%) of the university-sponsored sites were rated poor, the single nonprofit website scored fair, and the two governmental sites were rated poor. The most accurate topics covered by the websites were surgical treatment, screening, and colonoscopy. Regarding correctness, 94.6% of the websites were accurate in the information provided, while only 55% scored high in completeness, meaning that they provided comprehensive information. Transparency was poor for most websites, with only two providing sufficient information to verify their sources. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that while people use the Internet to access medical information about colon cancer, much of this information is incomplete in the Arabic language. This raises the question of how much benefit versus harm individuals receive from using websites to learn about colon cancer, and what can be done to improve the information available.