Next Article in Journal
Intravascular Imaging Guidance for Percutaneous Coronary Interventions
Previous Article in Journal
Hands Deserve Better: A Systematic Review of Surgical Glove Indicator Systems and Identification of Glove Perforation
 
 
Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
Journals
JCM
Volume 14
Issue 22
10.3390/jcm14227990
jcm-logo
Submit to this Journal Review for this Journal Propose a Special Issue
► Article Menu

Article Menu

share Share announcement Help format_quote Cite question_answer Discuss in SciProfiles
first_page
settings
Order Article Reprints
Font Type:
Arial Georgia Verdana
Font Size:
Aa Aa Aa
Line Spacing:
Column Width:
Background:
This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Quality of Online Patient Information on Surgical Management of Hidradenitis Suppurativa: A Comprehensive Assessment Using the mEQIP Tool

by
Marco Marcasciano
1,*,
Martina Astolfi
2,
Medea Pintaudi
2,
Emanuele Vittori
2,
Giuseppe Antonio D’Amico
2,
Alessia Pagnotta
3,
Luigi Bennardo
4,
Michele Rosario Colonna
2,
Steven Paul Nisticò
5 and
Manfredi Greco
6
1
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University “Magna Græcia” of Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
2
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Azienda Ospedaliera “Gaetano Martino” of Messina, University of Messina, 98124 Messina, Italy
3
Hand and Microsurgery Unit, Jewish Hospital, 00186 Rome, Italy
4
Science of Health Department, School of Medicine, University Magna Graecia, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
5
Department of Dermatology, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
6
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Unit, “Santa Maria Goretti” Hospital, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 04100 Latina, Italy
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
J. Clin. Med. 2025, 14(22), 7990; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14227990
Submission received: 14 October 2025 / Revised: 9 November 2025 / Accepted: 10 November 2025 / Published: 11 November 2025
(This article belongs to the Section Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery/Aesthetic Medicine)
Versions Notes

Abstract

Background: Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory disorder characterized by recurrent nodules, abscesses, and sinus tracts in apocrine gland-bearing areas. Surgery plays a key role in moderate-to-severe disease. As patients increasingly rely on the internet for decision-making, the quality of online information on HS surgery requires critical evaluation. Previous studies have shown poor quality and limited coverage of surgical aspects. This study systematically assesses publicly available websites on the surgical and reconstructive management of HS, quantifies their quality using the modified Ensuring Quality Information for Patients (mEQIP) tool, and identifies areas needing improvement to support informed decisions. Methods: Google, Bing, and Yahoo were searched using five HS surgery-related keywords. The first 50 results per keyword and engine were collected (n = 750), and 214 websites met the inclusion criteria. Sites were categorized by provenance (practitioners, hospitals, healthcare portals, professional societies, encyclopedias) and assessed using the 36-item mEQIP checklist. High quality was defined as ≥23/36 (75th percentile). Comparisons were made by publication era (pre-/post-COVID-19) and source type. Results: The mean mEQIP score was 21.7; only 51 websites (23.8%) met the high-quality threshold. No significant difference emerged between pre- and post-COVID publications. Healthcare portals scored highest (22.8), followed by practitioners (21.5) and hospital sites (21.2); professional societies (19.7) and encyclopedias (17.3) performed worst. Major deficiencies included limited discussion of surgical risks, quality-of-life outcomes, and postoperative care. Conclusions: Online resources on HS surgery are frequently incomplete and omit essential details on risks, recurrence, and reconstructive options. Surgeons should direct patients toward vetted sources, and professional societies should develop accessible, evidence-based patient guidelines.
Keywords: hidradenitis suppurativa surgery; hidradenitis suppurativa surgical treatment; hidradenitis suppurativa excision; hidradenitis suppurativa surgical management; hidradenitis suppurativa reconstructive techniques hidradenitis suppurativa surgery; hidradenitis suppurativa surgical treatment; hidradenitis suppurativa excision; hidradenitis suppurativa surgical management; hidradenitis suppurativa reconstructive techniques

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Marcasciano, M.; Astolfi, M.; Pintaudi, M.; Vittori, E.; D’Amico, G.A.; Pagnotta, A.; Bennardo, L.; Colonna, M.R.; Nisticò, S.P.; Greco, M. Quality of Online Patient Information on Surgical Management of Hidradenitis Suppurativa: A Comprehensive Assessment Using the mEQIP Tool. J. Clin. Med. 2025, 14, 7990. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14227990

AMA Style

Marcasciano M, Astolfi M, Pintaudi M, Vittori E, D’Amico GA, Pagnotta A, Bennardo L, Colonna MR, Nisticò SP, Greco M. Quality of Online Patient Information on Surgical Management of Hidradenitis Suppurativa: A Comprehensive Assessment Using the mEQIP Tool. Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2025; 14(22):7990. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14227990

Chicago/Turabian Style

Marcasciano, Marco, Martina Astolfi, Medea Pintaudi, Emanuele Vittori, Giuseppe Antonio D’Amico, Alessia Pagnotta, Luigi Bennardo, Michele Rosario Colonna, Steven Paul Nisticò, and Manfredi Greco. 2025. "Quality of Online Patient Information on Surgical Management of Hidradenitis Suppurativa: A Comprehensive Assessment Using the mEQIP Tool" Journal of Clinical Medicine 14, no. 22: 7990. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14227990

APA Style

Marcasciano, M., Astolfi, M., Pintaudi, M., Vittori, E., D’Amico, G. A., Pagnotta, A., Bennardo, L., Colonna, M. R., Nisticò, S. P., & Greco, M. (2025). Quality of Online Patient Information on Surgical Management of Hidradenitis Suppurativa: A Comprehensive Assessment Using the mEQIP Tool. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 14(22), 7990. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14227990

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

Article Metrics

Article metric data becomes available approximately 24 hours after publication online.
Back to TopTop