Do the platforms where professional health organizations inform the public answer all the needed questions?

Abstract

Background We aimed to assess the comprehensiveness of patient information websites from academic organizations regarding the most searched statements on "nocturia.” Additionally, we aimed to analyze the frequency of these statements based on their classification as definition, etiology, diagnosis, or treatment. Material and Methods The website www.answerthepublic.com was used to retrieve outputs related to nocturia. After applying exclusion criteria, the outputs were searched within the American Urological Association (AUA) and European Association of Urology (EAU) patient information websites, and the comprehensiveness scores were evaluated. Results The search engine retrieved 615 results, of which 67 queries were eligible for analysis. The most searched query was "nocturia definition", with 6,600 average monthly clicks. The distribution of analyzed queries was 16.4% for definition, 46.3% for etiology, 11.9% for diagnosis, and 25.4% for treatment. The AUA and EAU websites had median comprehensiveness scores of 2.0 (IQR: 3.5) and 3.0 (IQR: 4.0), respectively, with no significant relation found (p = 0.438). The selected websites did not cover a substantial proportion of searched items related to nocturia. Conclusions Although the patient information websites provided by prominent academic organizations offer valuable information, there needs to be more clarity between the information they provide and the public's concerns regarding nocturia. Tools like www.answerthepublic.com may provide valuable insights into public concerns but have limitations.