Online information on lymphoedema sparse

Online information about the surgical management of lymphoedema is lacking and does not accurately convey the quantitative benefits associated with the procedure, leading to unrealistic expectations from patients, a recent study has found.

The investigation was carried out on Google and Yahoo using the following search terms: “Lymphedema treatment with lymph node transfer (LNT)” and “Lymphedema treatment with lymphatic venous anastomosis (LVA).” The top 50 results were systematically evaluated, excluding duplicates, videos, inappropriate pages, blogs, and scientific papers.

Overall, 28 websites dealing with LNT and 17 with LVA were deemed eligible for the current analysis. The 36-item Ensuring Quality Information for Patients (EQIP) scale was used to assess these websites. The mean EQIP score for the LNT websites was 20.3 points, while that for LVA was 20.9 points. Of the maximum 36 points, scoring ≥20 on the EQIP is classified as a high score.

Fifteen LNT (53.6 percent) and 11 LVA (64.7 percent) websites were deemed to have a high score.

Qualitatively, the researchers pointed out that the websites performed poorly in terms of quantitatively describing the benefits and side effects of the procedures. Information regarding alert signs that patients should be looking out for, as well as precautions they could take, was also sparse.

“Direct access to medical information on the internet allows patients to become participative and to present to their healthcare providers with beliefs and expectations regarding their condition and its potential treatment,” the researchers said. “Nevertheless, we must question whether this medical information on the web can be considered reliable.”

“Surgeons should guide their patients in this quest, warning them on the potential misinformation they might hit on the web,” they added.