| Sumario: | Highlights: What are the main findings? • The majority (82%) of websites providing information on allergic rhinitis in children are of low quality, with a median EQIP score of 16.5/34. • Academic and industry-affiliated websites scored significantly higher than practitioner-developed sites, many of which lacked essential content and transparency, including quality-of-life information. What is the implication of the main finding? • Families seeking online information about pediatric allergic rhinitis are often exposed to incomplete or unreliable content, which may affect disease understanding, diagnosis, and management. • There is an urgent need for standardized, evidence-based, and patient-centered online resources, ideally developed collaboratively by academic institutions, healthcare professionals, and patient organizations. Background: The vast majority of patients, considering information for allergic conditions, use the Internet as a source of health information. The aim of our study is to assess the quality of patient information on allergic rhinitis available on the internet. Methods: Three hundred Websites, found through the most recognizable search engines, were evaluated using the modified Ensuring Quality Information for Patients (EQIP) instrument. Results: Eighty-five websites were assessed after the exclusion of duplicates and Websites in languages other than English. Websites that scored higher than 21 (over the 75th percentile) were categorized as high-score sites. Websites that were developed by health professionals tended to have a higher score. The EQIP score of the websites ranged between 5 and 26 out of the total of 34 points, with a median value of 16.5 points. Conclusions: The quality of patient information on allergic rhinitis on the Internet is inferior, and the existing Websites present insufficient information.
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