Search Engine Optimization and Patient Education: An Image-Based Study
Methods/Technique: 16 plastic surgery residents were given instructions to conduct an image search engine study using 3 assigned keywords and 3 unassigned keywords. Instructions were given to enter the keywords into 3 different image search engines, and to provide both a description and website URL for the top 3 images. Additional data collected included date of search, start/end time, internet browser, and IP address. Residents were blinded to the purpose of the study and asked to envision themselves a potential patient seeking information about abdominoplasty. Images and websites were confirmed independently and assessed for type of website, patient education content, physician sponsors, and support by ABPS, ASPS, and/or ASAPS.
Results/Complications: 11 residents completed the study, resulting in 594 responses related to searched images. 110 unique websites were cited. The most common type of website was physician practice sites/blogs at 44.6% (n=49). Other sites included personal blogs (n=15, 13.6%), open forums (n=12, 10.9%), patient education (n=10, 9.1%), online marketing (n=8, 7.3%), pop culture (n=5, 4.6%), and other sites (n=5, 4.6%). Of the practice-based sites, physicians claimed the following associations: 80% (n=39) American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS), 73.5% American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), and 36.7% American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (ASAPS).
Conclusion: Dynamic search engine algorithms prevent the standardization of patient education. Our simulation resulted in just 9% of websites dedicated solely to patient education. Conversely, high representation of practice-based sites confirms a dedication to search engine optimization, but perhaps more for practice promotion and not patient education. As patients continue self-education via the internet, anticipating and correcting erroneous knowledge is vital to the preoperative workup for any plastic surgery patient.