Abstract
Aim
Vaginal birth after caesarean (VBAC) is a relatively safe alternative to repeat caesarean
birth in the proper context. This important decision to undergo an elective caesarean
versus VBAC is ultimately a decision of the mother. The purpose of our study was to
assess the quality of online information in relation to VBAC collected using the most
common search engine: Google.
Methods
The 10 most common hit sites for the keywords “VBAC” and “Vaginal birth after caesarean”
were evaluated using the search engine Google. The quality of websites was rated based
on the Silberg scale for accountability, the modified Abbott's criteria for presentation
and the SMOG index for readability. The content of each website was compared to the
Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada (SOGC) guidelines for VBAC.
Findings
13 out of 20 identified websites met the adequate criteria for accountability, with
85% of the websites indicating authorship. 11 websites were deemed aesthetically agreeable.
The target audience, assessed by the readability score, was notably above the non-medical
population with an average SMOG index score of 14.75. Only half of the websites contained
recommendations, as detailed by the SOGC guidelines.
Conclusion
Almost all sites target a higher academic level, making it beyond the comprehension
of the general population. Woman friendly web-assessment tools should be provided
to enable pregnant women to take an active role in their decision making.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: October 28, 2014
Accepted:
October 11,
2014
Received in revised form:
October 9,
2014
Received:
May 22,
2014
Identification
Copyright
© 2014 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
