# Quality of Patient Information on Allergic Rhinitis in Children on the Internet

## TL;DR

Most websites about allergic rhinitis in children have low-quality information, which could mislead families about diagnosis and treatment.

## Contribution

This study evaluates the quality of online information on allergic rhinitis for children using the EQIP instrument.

## Key findings

- 82% of websites had low quality, with a median EQIP score of 16.5/34.
- Academic and industry sites scored higher than practitioner-developed sites.
- Many sites lacked essential content and transparency about quality of life.

## Abstract

What are the main findings?
•The majority (82%) of websites providing information on allergic rhinitis in children are of low quality, with a median EQIP score of 16.5/34.•Academic and industry-affiliated websites scored significantly higher than practitioner-developed sites, many of which lacked essential content and transparency, including quality-of-life information.

The majority (82%) of websites providing information on allergic rhinitis in children are of low quality, with a median EQIP score of 16.5/34.

Academic and industry-affiliated websites scored significantly higher than practitioner-developed sites, many of which lacked essential content and transparency, including quality-of-life information.

What is the implication of the main finding?
•Families seeking online information about pediatric allergic rhinitis are often exposed to incomplete or unreliable content, which may affect disease understanding, diagnosis, and management.•There is an urgent need for standardized, evidence-based, and patient-centered online resources, ideally developed collaboratively by academic institutions, healthcare professionals, and patient organizations.

Families seeking online information about pediatric allergic rhinitis are often exposed to incomplete or unreliable content, which may affect disease understanding, diagnosis, and management.

There is an urgent need for standardized, evidence-based, and patient-centered online resources, ideally developed collaboratively by academic institutions, healthcare professionals, and patient organizations.

Background: The vast majority of patients, considering information for allergic conditions, use the Internet as a source of health information. The aim of our study is to assess the quality of patient information on allergic rhinitis available on the internet. Methods: Three hundred Websites, found through the most recognizable search engines, were evaluated using the modified Ensuring Quality Information for Patients (EQIP) instrument. Results: Eighty-five websites were assessed after the exclusion of duplicates and Websites in languages other than English. Websites that scored higher than 21 (over the 75th percentile) were categorized as high-score sites. Websites that were developed by health professionals tended to have a higher score. The EQIP score of the websites ranged between 5 and 26 out of the total of 34 points, with a median value of 16.5 points. Conclusions: The quality of patient information on allergic rhinitis on the Internet is inferior, and the existing Websites present insufficient information.