Evaluation of the quality, reliability and readability of online websites related to Diabetes mellitus

Introduction and purpose: The advent of technology has significantly increased internet usage and facilitated access to information. However, alongside this convenience, concerns about the reliability and accuracy of information disseminated in an unregulated manner have emerged. In this study aims to assess the quality, reliability, and readability levels of websites pertaining to diabetes mellitus, one of the most common chronic diseases in family medicine practice. Material and Method: The keywords "Diabetes Mellitus", "Diyabet" and "Şeker Hastalığı" were searched using Google, Yandex and Bing search engines. The first 30 Turkish websites that appeared in the search engines were included in the study. The quality and reliability of the websites were assessed using JAMA and DISCERN criteria, and readability was assessed using the Ateşman readability formula. SPSS Version 25.0 software was used in the statistical analysis of the data and statistical significance level was accepted as p<0.05. Results: In the review of 270 websites, 75.19% (203) of the sites were included in the review when the exclusion criteria were applied. The median values of 203 sites included in the review in terms of JAMA, DISCERN and Ateşman readability scores were 2.00 (0.00-4.00), 44.00 (19.00-75.00), 61.40 (37.00-79.80), respectively. No significant relationship was found between JAMA, DISCERN and Ateşman readability scores according to search engines and keywords (p>0.05) Conclusion: The quality and reliability of the analysed websites were found to be moderate, and the readability level was found to be comprehensible at the ninth or tenth grade level. In order for patients to access the right content on the internet, it is important to create quality, reliable and easily understandable websites. Keywords: Diabetes mellitus, JAMA, DISCERN, readability, internet