Most Online Resources for Home Suture Removal are Poor in Quality

Abstract

Introduction. At home suture or staple removal can be stressful for patients and may lead some to seek out additional instruction via online resources as an adjunct to what was explained to them by their provider. The purpose of this study was to examine the existing online resources available to patients who may be interested in or have been instructed to remove sutures at home after a simple procedure such as a skin biopsy or excision.

Methods. A systematic search was conducted using internet search engines to identify videos and webpages targeting at home suture removal instruction. The DISCERN instrument was used to evaluate the information quality of each included resource.

Results. There was no statistically significant difference between average DISCERN scores for videos and webpage resources, and the majority were rated poor in quality.

Conclusions. The online resources for at home suture and staple removal are often not comprehensive and are below the standard quality for written information. Healthcare providers should consider referring their patients to validated online sources for suture removal to prevent misinformation and improve patient safety.