Evaluating online information regarding the direct anterior approach for total hip arthroplasty.

Abstract

We evaluated the quality of information available on the Internet regarding the direct anterior approach (DAA). The top 50 Web sites from three major search engines (Google, Yahoo!, and Bing) were tabulated utilizing the search term direct anterior hip replacement. Of these, only 22% were authored by a hospital/university, while 60% were by a private physician/clinic. Most Web sites presented the DAA as "better" than other surgical approaches describing benefits, such as accelerated recovery though only 35% described risks of the approach. While only 39% of sites presented patient eligibility criteria, greater than 75% had the ability to make an appointment. Web sites regarding the DAA provide patients with a limited perspective and may be focused on attracting new patients, as opposed to accurately educating them.