PO036 The readability of internet information on lewy body dementia

Background Lewy body dementia is an increasingly prevalent condition, and is currently estimated to comprise a quarter of all dementias.1Patients and carers commonly look to the world wide web as a source of health information, thus it is important that information provided is interpretable. Aim The aim of this study is to assess the readability of information on the internet regarding Lewy Body Dementia. Methods We searched Google, Yahoo and Bing for the term ‘Lewy body dementia’. The first 50 consecutive websites from each search engine were potentially eligible for the study. The readability of information was examined using the Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES). Results Of the 150 potentially eligible websites, 91 were included in the study. The mean FRES score was 42.6 (standard deviation: 12.1). Conclusion Internet information on Lewy body dementia is difficult to understand. The mean FRES score was 42.6; a score which is consistent with being readable only to those with a third level education. This study illustrates that improvements are required to provide patients and carers with clearer online information on Lewy body dementia. Reference Walker Z, Possin KL, Boeve BF, Aarsland D. Lewy body dementias. Lancet2015;386(10004):1683–97.