The state of online information about Platelet-rich plasma (PRP): what are patients asking and what are their sources of information?

Abstract

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has emerged as a promising treatment option in orthopedics, albeit with mixed clinical data. Therefore, patient interest in PRP has grown, reflected as an increase in the number of PRP-related internet searches. The aims of this study are to 1) investigate the most frequently searched online patient questions related to platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and 2) evaluate the quality of websites providing information. Three PRP-related search queries were entered into Google Web Search and the 100 most common questions for each query were included. Questions were categorized based on Rothwell's Classification of Questions (Fact, Policy, Value) and further subcategorized based on their content. Websites were further categorized by type (Academic, Commercial, Government, Medical Practice, Single Surgeon Personal, and Social Media) and evaluated based on the JAMA Benchmark Criteria for website quality. Statistical analysis was performed with descriptive statistics and reported as percentages where appropriate. Most questions fell into the Rothwell Value (43.0%) and Fact (40.6%) categories. The most common questions that patients had about PRP pertained to efficacy of treatment (14.0%), comparison of treatment with other options (13.0%), and cost (10.9%). The most common sources of information were medical practice (50.9%) and single surgeon personal websites (14.7%), which had low website quality with JAMA Benchmark criteria of 0.68 ± 0.87, and 0.58 ± 0.85, respectively. The most common questions patients had about PRP pertained to the evaluation of its effectiveness and how it compared with other treatment options. Notably, patients received most information from websites of low quality, highlighting the potential for bias and misinformation. Physicians should use these results instead provide up-to-date, evidence-driven information about PRP to help guide patient expectations.