Patient-centered web-based information on oral lichen planus : quality and readability

Background To assess the readability and quality of web-based information available for patients about oral lichen planus (OLP). Material and Methods Three major search engines (Google, Bing and Yahoo!) were used to identify websites of particular interest to the study using the search term ‘oral lichen planus’. The first 100 sites of each search engine were considered for the study. The quality of the contents was evaluated using the DISCERN instrument. The Flesch-Kinkaid Reading Grade Level (FKRGL) and the Flesh Reading Ease Score (FRES) were used to assess readability. The presence of the Health on the Net (HON) seal was also evaluated. Results Following the application of the study’s ex…