The Readability of Online Health Information on the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Disease

The study aims at exploring the readability of health websites on Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS‐CoV). The term "MERS" was searched in Google, Yahoo, and Bing search engines. The readability of the first ۳۰ results for each search engine was evaluated by using the five readability scales, including Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), Flesch Reading Ease (FRE), Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG), Coleman-Liau Index (CLI), and Gunning Fog. Moreover, the official HONcode toolbar was used to identify websites that had been officially certified by the HON Foundation. Almost half of the retrieved websites were governmental (۴۴.۲%). All the surveyed websites were written above the recommended level and so, their readability is suitable for those with a high school or a college degree. The mean grade level for the MERS-related websites was in a similar range across the five readability scales. Furthermore, there was no association between the search rank, credibility, and readability. The readability level of MERS information available through search engine results exceeds the recommended ۶th-grade level, and they do not currently adhere to the recommended readability guidelines. Even credible websites have provided content that is not readable enough for the public. Considering the lack of a specific policy about the providing of readable health information on the web, it is recommended for healthcare providers to advise their patients to use the online information after consulting with the physicians.

Keywords:

the Middle East respiratory syndrome Coronavirus , MERS-CoV , Readability , e-Health , Health information , Self-care , Patient education , HONcode , Patient Portals