Cargando…

Online Information Related to Symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Google Search Analysis

Introduction While Google is frequently used to access internet-based health resources, the quality of online health information remains variable. Our purpose was to assess suggested resources identified through Google search features for common symptoms related to carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Meth...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Foster, Brian K, Brule, Nicholas R, Callahan, Clarice, Baylor, Jessica, Klena, Joel C, Grandizio, Louis C
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Cureus 2023
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10062431/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37007327
http://dx.doi.org/10.7759/cureus.35586
_version_ 1785017490758172672
author Foster, Brian K
Brule, Nicholas R
Callahan, Clarice
Baylor, Jessica
Klena, Joel C
Grandizio, Louis C
author_facet Foster, Brian K
Brule, Nicholas R
Callahan, Clarice
Baylor, Jessica
Klena, Joel C
Grandizio, Louis C
author_sort Foster, Brian K
collection PubMed
description Introduction While Google is frequently used to access internet-based health resources, the quality of online health information remains variable. Our purpose was to assess suggested resources identified through Google search features for common symptoms related to carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Methods Two searches were performed. The first, labeled "symptom-related," included the terms "hand numbness," "hand tingling," and "hand falling asleep." The second, labeled "CTS-specific," included "carpal tunnel syndrome," "carpal tunnel surgery," and "carpal tunnel release." A novel feature of Google’s search engine is to display similar searches made by other users ("People Also Ask" snippet). For each search, the first 100 results snippets and the associated website links were recorded. A list of unique questions was compiled and classified into 1 of 3 categories using the Rothwell classification: fact, policy, or value. Questions were also classified based on the diagnoses suggested by the query. Website authorship was determined, and the corresponding links were categorized by two independent reviewers. Results The "symptom-related" searches yielded 175 unique questions and 130 unique website links, and the "CTS-specific" searches yielded a total of 243 questions and 179 unique links. For "symptom-related" searches, 65% of questions suggested a diagnosis, with CTS being suggested as a diagnosis for only 3% of questions. In contrast, CTS was suggested by 92% of questions in "CTS-specific" searches. In both searches, nearly 75% of questions were classified as "facts." Commercial websites were the most common in both searches. Conclusion Google searches for common symptoms of median nerve compression rarely yield information related to CTS.
format Online
Article
Text
id pubmed-10062431
institution National Center for Biotechnology Information
language English
publishDate 2023
publisher Cureus
record_format MEDLINE/PubMed
spelling pubmed-100624312023-03-31 Online Information Related to Symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Google Search Analysis Foster, Brian K Brule, Nicholas R Callahan, Clarice Baylor, Jessica Klena, Joel C Grandizio, Louis C Cureus Orthopedics Introduction While Google is frequently used to access internet-based health resources, the quality of online health information remains variable. Our purpose was to assess suggested resources identified through Google search features for common symptoms related to carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Methods Two searches were performed. The first, labeled "symptom-related," included the terms "hand numbness," "hand tingling," and "hand falling asleep." The second, labeled "CTS-specific," included "carpal tunnel syndrome," "carpal tunnel surgery," and "carpal tunnel release." A novel feature of Google’s search engine is to display similar searches made by other users ("People Also Ask" snippet). For each search, the first 100 results snippets and the associated website links were recorded. A list of unique questions was compiled and classified into 1 of 3 categories using the Rothwell classification: fact, policy, or value. Questions were also classified based on the diagnoses suggested by the query. Website authorship was determined, and the corresponding links were categorized by two independent reviewers. Results The "symptom-related" searches yielded 175 unique questions and 130 unique website links, and the "CTS-specific" searches yielded a total of 243 questions and 179 unique links. For "symptom-related" searches, 65% of questions suggested a diagnosis, with CTS being suggested as a diagnosis for only 3% of questions. In contrast, CTS was suggested by 92% of questions in "CTS-specific" searches. In both searches, nearly 75% of questions were classified as "facts." Commercial websites were the most common in both searches. Conclusion Google searches for common symptoms of median nerve compression rarely yield information related to CTS. Cureus 2023-02-28 /pmc/articles/PMC10062431/ /pubmed/37007327 http://dx.doi.org/10.7759/cureus.35586 Text en Copyright © 2023, Foster et al. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
spellingShingle Orthopedics
Foster, Brian K
Brule, Nicholas R
Callahan, Clarice
Baylor, Jessica
Klena, Joel C
Grandizio, Louis C
Online Information Related to Symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Google Search Analysis
title Online Information Related to Symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Google Search Analysis
title_full Online Information Related to Symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Google Search Analysis
title_fullStr Online Information Related to Symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Google Search Analysis
title_full_unstemmed Online Information Related to Symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Google Search Analysis
title_short Online Information Related to Symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Google Search Analysis
title_sort online information related to symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome: a google search analysis
topic Orthopedics
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10062431/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37007327
http://dx.doi.org/10.7759/cureus.35586
work_keys_str_mv AT fosterbriank onlineinformationrelatedtosymptomsofcarpaltunnelsyndromeagooglesearchanalysis
AT brulenicholasr onlineinformationrelatedtosymptomsofcarpaltunnelsyndromeagooglesearchanalysis
AT callahanclarice onlineinformationrelatedtosymptomsofcarpaltunnelsyndromeagooglesearchanalysis
AT baylorjessica onlineinformationrelatedtosymptomsofcarpaltunnelsyndromeagooglesearchanalysis
AT klenajoelc onlineinformationrelatedtosymptomsofcarpaltunnelsyndromeagooglesearchanalysis
AT grandiziolouisc onlineinformationrelatedtosymptomsofcarpaltunnelsyndromeagooglesearchanalysis