ESS dot com.
BACKGROUND
The Internet is a rich but unregulated source of information, and no studies have evaluated sleep medicine content designed for patient or public use.


OBJECTIVE
To examine how the Epworth Sleepiness Scale is presented on the World Wide Web.


METHODS
We searched the web with eight search engines, in November 2000, for the terms 'ESS' or 'Epworth Sleepiness Scale' and examined every site that listed the full ESS.


RESULTS
The 91 sites were sponsored by academic institutions (n=11), private medical groups (34), corporations (21), and web information services (25). No information on interpretation of ESS results was given by 24 (26%) of the sites; 37 (41%) of the sites stated that a score greater than 8, 9, 10, 11, or 12 merits consultation with a clinician. Few sites mentioned that insufficient sleep and depression are among the most common causes of excessive sleepiness, or that the meaning and value of the ESS are somewhat controversial.


CONCLUSIONS
The ESS is widely available on web sites designed for public use, but information that would allow appropriate interpretation of results is often lacking, misleading, or incomplete.
Sleep Disorders Center, Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0117, USA. avidan@umich.edu
Alon Y
AY
Avidan
Ronald D
RD
Chervin