Curiosity about interventional radiology is growing, but quality information for patients is lacking online
Public curiosity about interventional radiology has grown substantially in recent years, prompting a need for more quality information related to IR procedures online.
However, such information is currently lacking, according to new work published in Clinical Radiology.
“The medical literature has described a broad range of minimally invasive IR therapies with less risk, better outcomes, and more cost-efficacy compared to traditional surgical and medical therapies," co-authors Marilyn J. Niedermeier, MD, and Mina S. Makary, MD, both with Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, explain. "Meanwhile, studies have shown that more patients are exploring treatment options via online sources, with some suggesting that up to 60% of U.S. adults accessed healthcare information using the internet.”
This highlights a great need for accurate, quality online information related to the field of IR that patients can easily understand, the authors note. Since IR is a fairly new specialty, this information could be critical to its continued growth, they add.
To get a better idea of how interest in the modality has changed over time, the team conducted an analysis spanning 15 years of online IR search trends using Google Trends, Demographics.io, and Also Asked.
Trends in IR searches
During the last 15 years, search volume grew globally by around 35%, with the most IR queries taking place in the U.S. Women were responsible for more than 80% of the searches, more than half of whom were between the ages of 35 and 54.
Notably, that was the bulk of the demographic specific data the authors were able to interpret. That's because, in many cases, there was not enough search data for Google Trends to analyze—just under 13% of regions had an adequate amount of data. Despite the growth of IR, there is still a significant void of public knowledge related to the specialty, the authors suggest.
“Even within the United States, the country with highest relative search volumes by a wide margin, 14% of states had insufficient search volume data within Google Trends. Furthermore, the Also Asked results suggest low comprehension of IR and its related procedures within the general population of internet users.”
The IR materials provided by the most popular sites also could present issues for patients. Most of the material was presented at a college reading level. This is well above the average seventh- to eighth-grade reading level most Americans read at. Even WebMD, which provided materials with the lowest reading level, is written at a 10th grade level and may be hard for the average reader to interpret.
Experts believe there is a great need for educational materials that are easily understood by the general public, especially as patients seek alternatives to surgery.
“Actions should be taken to improve quality, accessibility, and awareness of IR-related webpages,” the group suggests. “Further research using varied sources is needed to determine specific tools for implementation and further determining the best strategies for increasing public awareness of this innovative field.”
For more on the findings, click here.
In addition to her background in journalism, Hannah also has patient-facing experience in clinical settings, having spent more than 12 years working as a registered rad tech. She joined Innovate Healthcare in 2021 and has since put her unique expertise to use in her editorial role with Health Imaging.