Health on the net: Do website searches return reliable health information on hemorrhoids and their treatment?

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the quality of health information on the Internet on hemorrhoids across 5 Western languages and perform a comparative analysis of website sponsors. Summary of background data: Hemorrhoids are a common condition affecting the hemorrhoid cushions of the anal canal. Many treatment options are available. Information on the Internet on hemorrhoids is considered variable, but there is little data analysis to support this. The World Health Organization’s Health On the Net (HON) accredits medical and health websites based on a code of conduct and publishes a toolbar that aids identification of such accredited websites. Methods: Using the Google search engine (http://www.google.com, Google, Mountain View, California), searches were performed using 11 keywords related to hemorrhoids in English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish. Health On the Net accreditation was determined to assess quality website information. The first 150 websites in each language had their adherence to the HON principles analyzed, and English websites were analyzed to determine sponsorship source. Results: Of the 8250 websites analysed, 586 (7.1%) were found to HON-accredited. The rate of HON accreditation ranged from 2.0% (piles) to 10.0% (hemorrhoids), with higher-ranking results having higher rates of HON accreditation (P, 0.001). Conclusion: There is a paucity of high-quality information on the Internet; however, the Google search algorithm prioritizes high-quality information in its web search results.