Modern Digital Query Analytics of Patient Education Materials on Acanthosis Nigricans: Systematic Search and Content Analysis

Abstract BackgroundOnline digital materials are integral to patient education and health care outcomes in dermatology. Acanthosis nigricans (AN) is a common condition, often associated with underlying diseases such as insulin resistance. Patients frequently search the internet...

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Main Authors: Kevin Johny Varghese, Som Singh, Emily Kamali, Fahad Qureshi, Aleena Jamal, Fawad Qureshi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: JMIR Publications 2025-01-01
Series:JMIR Dermatology
Online Access:https://derma.jmir.org/2025/1/e60210
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author Kevin Johny Varghese
Som Singh
Emily Kamali
Fahad Qureshi
Aleena Jamal
Fawad Qureshi
author_facet Kevin Johny Varghese
Som Singh
Emily Kamali
Fahad Qureshi
Aleena Jamal
Fawad Qureshi
author_sort Kevin Johny Varghese
collection DOAJ
description Abstract BackgroundOnline digital materials are integral to patient education and health care outcomes in dermatology. Acanthosis nigricans (AN) is a common condition, often associated with underlying diseases such as insulin resistance. Patients frequently search the internet for information related to this cutaneous finding. To our knowledge, the quality of online educational materials for AN has not been systematically examined. ObjectiveThe primary objective of this study was to profile the readability and quality of the content of publicly available digital educational materials on AN and identify questions frequently asked by patients. MethodsThis study analyzed publicly available internet sources to identify the most frequent questions searched by patients regarding AN using the Google Rankbrain algorithm. Furthermore, available articles on AN were evaluated for quality and reading level using metrics such as the Brief DISCERN score, and readability was determined using three specific scales including the Flesch-Kincaid score, Gunning Fog index, and the Coleman-Liau index, based on literature. ResultsPatients most frequently accessed facts on AN from government sources, which comprised 30% (n=15) of the analyzed sources. The available articles did not meet quality standards and were at a reading level not appropriate for the general public. The majority of articles (n=29/50, 58%) had substandard Brief DISCERN scores, failing to meet the criteria for good quality ConclusionsClinicians should be aware of the paucity of valuable online educational material on AN and educate their patients accordingly.
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spelling doaj-art-96159bdb0a684e309869189070235e532025-01-13T18:04:01ZengJMIR PublicationsJMIR Dermatology2562-09592025-01-018e60210e6021010.2196/60210Modern Digital Query Analytics of Patient Education Materials on Acanthosis Nigricans: Systematic Search and Content AnalysisKevin Johny Varghesehttp://orcid.org/0009-0004-6067-9921Som Singhhttp://orcid.org/0000-0001-7553-8487Emily Kamalihttp://orcid.org/0000-0002-2449-3781Fahad Qureshihttp://orcid.org/0000-0003-1117-1350Aleena Jamalhttp://orcid.org/0000-0003-3946-6986Fawad Qureshihttp://orcid.org/0000-0003-3387-4882 Abstract BackgroundOnline digital materials are integral to patient education and health care outcomes in dermatology. Acanthosis nigricans (AN) is a common condition, often associated with underlying diseases such as insulin resistance. Patients frequently search the internet for information related to this cutaneous finding. To our knowledge, the quality of online educational materials for AN has not been systematically examined. ObjectiveThe primary objective of this study was to profile the readability and quality of the content of publicly available digital educational materials on AN and identify questions frequently asked by patients. MethodsThis study analyzed publicly available internet sources to identify the most frequent questions searched by patients regarding AN using the Google Rankbrain algorithm. Furthermore, available articles on AN were evaluated for quality and reading level using metrics such as the Brief DISCERN score, and readability was determined using three specific scales including the Flesch-Kincaid score, Gunning Fog index, and the Coleman-Liau index, based on literature. ResultsPatients most frequently accessed facts on AN from government sources, which comprised 30% (n=15) of the analyzed sources. The available articles did not meet quality standards and were at a reading level not appropriate for the general public. The majority of articles (n=29/50, 58%) had substandard Brief DISCERN scores, failing to meet the criteria for good quality ConclusionsClinicians should be aware of the paucity of valuable online educational material on AN and educate their patients accordingly.https://derma.jmir.org/2025/1/e60210
spellingShingle Kevin Johny Varghese
Som Singh
Emily Kamali
Fahad Qureshi
Aleena Jamal
Fawad Qureshi
Modern Digital Query Analytics of Patient Education Materials on Acanthosis Nigricans: Systematic Search and Content Analysis
JMIR Dermatology
title Modern Digital Query Analytics of Patient Education Materials on Acanthosis Nigricans: Systematic Search and Content Analysis
title_full Modern Digital Query Analytics of Patient Education Materials on Acanthosis Nigricans: Systematic Search and Content Analysis
title_fullStr Modern Digital Query Analytics of Patient Education Materials on Acanthosis Nigricans: Systematic Search and Content Analysis
title_full_unstemmed Modern Digital Query Analytics of Patient Education Materials on Acanthosis Nigricans: Systematic Search and Content Analysis
title_short Modern Digital Query Analytics of Patient Education Materials on Acanthosis Nigricans: Systematic Search and Content Analysis
title_sort modern digital query analytics of patient education materials on acanthosis nigricans systematic search and content analysis
url https://derma.jmir.org/2025/1/e60210
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