Internet use by parents of children with clubfoot and analysis of clubfoot-related content on the Internet
Abstract
The diagnosis of clubfoot is often made during intrauterine life. However, parents are typically not informed
of their child’s condition until weeks later. Meanwhile, they have time to turn to the internet for information.
The authors wanted to find out what parents find on the internet and how they value that information.
Parents of children with clubfoot were asked to fill in a questionnaire about their internet use, and by typing
the keyword „clubfoot” into Google, the authors looked at the content and reliability of the top 20 websites.
The content analysis was performed using a 100-point scoring system, while for the reliability analysis the
“EgészségKommandó” (HealthCommando) scoring system was used. 97.2% of the respondents indicated that
they had looked for information about the clubfoot on the internet before consulting an orthopaedic surgeon.
32.9% of parents did not find this information fully understandable and 60% did not find the information
sufficient. Based on the content analysis, none of the websites met the criterion of good quality. Based on
the HealthCommando scoring system, one website could be considered as authoritative. Parents very often
turn to the internet for information, but what they find there is not understandable or sufficient for them.
The content of the Hungarian clubfoot websites is of poor quality from the professional point of view. It is
necessary to update and modernise the content on the internet. This will not only help to inform patients but
will also facilitate medical work and improve the doctor-patient relationship.
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