Summary of: The quality of online information regarding dental implants

Key Points

• Enables the reader to understand how patients use online information to make informed choices.

• Explains how the Internet has the potential to dramatically change the doctor-patient relationship in that it offers an opportunity for patients to increase their involvement in their healthcare decision-making process.

• Highlights the GDC regulations on ethical advertising.

Abstract

Aims and objectives To analyse the quality of online information available to patients regarding dental implants.

Design Cross sectional survey.

Setting The websites analysed were UK based, owned by private practices and NHS secondary and tertiary care services. Information was collated in November 2013.

Methods UK-based websites were analysed using UK based search engines.

Outcome measures Websites were analysed based on content and reliability. Information regarding the speciality of authors and accreditation/affiliation to professional groups/medical institutions was also collated.

Results Overall, website content quality was low, with 63% of sites averaging below 7/14 for their mean summed website content scores, and 67% of sites averaging below 8/16 for their mean reliability scores. 86.7% were accredited by a recognised national/international dental/surgical body but only 26.7% were affiliated to a professional group/medical institution. The authors were mainly dentists (73.3%).

Conclusions These findings suggest that the online information regarding implant treatment is generally of low quality and many aspects such as long term outcomes and complications are overlooked. There is a need for the improvement of the quality of online information available to patients in order to make the best use of this tool in helping patients to make informed choices about their dental care. The Internet has the potential to dramatically change the clinician-patient relationship. Moreover, in light of the guidelines produced by the General Dental Council (GDC) in 2012 on the principles of ethical advertising, GDC registrants run the risk of fitness to practise proceedings and medico-legal challenges if the website content has potential to mislead patients.

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