Organ Donation Information on the Internet: Completeness, Accuracy, and Readability

Organ donation researchers have not yet examined organ donation information on the Internet. This study addresses research questions and hypotheses pertaining to the completeness of online organ donation information, the extent to which websites refute and perpetuate myths about donation, and the readability of text on these sites. Organ donation websites were identified using the search term "Organ donor" OR "organ donation" OR "donating organs" on Google, the most popular search engine. Lists were compiled of the 100 top ranking .gov websites, the top 100 .edu websites, and the top 200 websites from all other domain suffixes. The resulting 400 websites were coded for the provision of 9 critically important organ donation information points. In addition, 9 myths about organ donation identified by past researchers were examined, with each site classified as perpetuating the myth, countering it, or making no mention of it. Each website was also assessed for the grade level (readability) of its text; the nature of its sponsor (e.g., donor registry, news organization, doctor/hospital); and its website rank in Google. It was hypothesized that .edu and .gov websites would be the most informative, but in fact .org sites were evaluated more highly, due to the high number of donor registry and foundation .org sites. The average readability level for organ donation websites was 10th grade, above the recommended grade level of 6-8. Counter to expectations, text on .gov and .edu websites was written at the highest grade level. Generally, more information was provided on websites that appeared higher in Google search results. The results suggest that most websites provide limited information about organ donation and that individuals seeking the most complete information should focus their search on .org websites authored by organ donor registries and foundations.