Accessibility of online self-management support websites for people with osteoarthritis: A text content analysis:

ObjectivesThis study assessed accessibility of online self-management support webpages for people with osteoarthritis by considering readability of text and inclusion of images and videos.MethodsEight key search terms developed and agreed with patient and public involvement representatives were entered into the Google search engine. Webpages from the first page of Google search results were identified. Readability of webpage text was assessed using two standardised readability indexes, and the number of images and videos included on each webpage was recorded.ResultsForty-nine webpages met the inclusion criteria and were assessed. Only five of the webpages met the recommended reading level for health education literature. Almost half (44.9%) of webpages did not include any informative images to support written information. A minority of the webpages (6.12%) included relevant videos.DiscussionInformation provided on health webpages aiming to support patients to self-manage osteoarthritis may not be read, un...