Accuracy of Online Pictorial Resources for Common Hand Surgery Procedures

Background: Online medical platforms can provide patients with easily accessible information and greater opportunities to self-advocate. However, the lack of quality control and presence of inaccurate information can lead to miscommunications between the physician and the patient. The objective of this study was to examine the quality and accuracy of online pictorial information regarding common hand conditions. Methods: Medical image information was searched on the search engine Google (http://www.google.com) using the terms "de Quervain's tenosynovitis," "carpal tunnel syndrome," and "trigger finger." The first 20 illustrations to appear on the search were recorded along with the type of source. The images were then examined for veracity of information conveyed. Results: Sixty images were collected from 48 different Web sources. Nonacademic/private medical institutions were the most common image source (35%). The rate of erroneous images was 40%. Web sites of academic hospitals were most frequently the source of incorrect images. Of the conditions, trigger finger had the highest rate of errors (55%), most commonly occurring in positioning of the annular pulleys. The search results did not contain any Web sites from professional hand societies. Conclusion: The quality of online medical information is a significant but often overlooked aspect of health professional and patient education. This study demonstrates the prevalence of incorrect information online and the misunderstandings that patients can have about common conditions. Higher quality online resources are needed to improve patient education and patient-physician interactions. Avenues for improvement are to provide greater accessibility of educational resources offered by professional hand surgery organizations.