title: Systematic Review of Quality of Patient Information on Liposuction in the Internet.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A large number of patients who are interested in esthetic surgery actively search the Internet, which represents nowadays the first source of information. However, the quality of information available in the Internet on liposuction is currently unknown. The aim of this study was to assess the quality of patient information on liposuction available in the Internet.
  
  
  METHODS
  The quantitative and qualitative assessment of Web sites was based on a modified Ensuring Quality Information for Patients tool (36 items). Five hundred Web sites were identified by the most popular web search engines.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two hundred forty-five Web sites were assessed after duplicates and irrelevant sources were excluded. Only 72 (29%) Web sites addressed >16 items, and scores tended to be higher for professional societies, portals, patient groups, health departments, and academic centers than for Web sites developed by physicians, respectively. The Ensuring Quality Information for Patients score achieved by Web sites ranged between 8 and 29 of total 36 points, with a median value of 16 points (interquartile range, 14-18). The top 10 Web sites with the highest scores were identified.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The quality of patient information on liposuction available in the Internet is poor, and existing Web sites show substantial shortcomings. There is an urgent need for improvement in offering superior quality information on liposuction for patients intending to undergo this procedure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Citizens' Hospital Solothurn, Solothurn, Switzerland; Department of Plastic Surgery and Hand Surgery, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Department of Surgery, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Department of Surgery, Cantonal Hospital Olten, Olten, Switzerland; and Department of Plastic Surgery and Hand Surgery, University Hospital Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Grzegorz
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zuk
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Citizens' Hospital Solothurn, Solothurn, Switzerland; Department of Plastic Surgery and Hand Surgery, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Department of Surgery, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Department of Surgery, Cantonal Hospital Olten, Olten, Switzerland; and Department of Plastic Surgery and Hand Surgery, University Hospital Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Adrian Fernando
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Palma
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Citizens' Hospital Solothurn, Solothurn, Switzerland; Department of Plastic Surgery and Hand Surgery, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Department of Surgery, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Department of Surgery, Cantonal Hospital Olten, Olten, Switzerland; and Department of Plastic Surgery and Hand Surgery, University Hospital Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Gertraud
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Eylert
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Citizens' Hospital Solothurn, Solothurn, Switzerland; Department of Plastic Surgery and Hand Surgery, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Department of Surgery, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Department of Surgery, Cantonal Hospital Olten, Olten, Switzerland; and Department of Plastic Surgery and Hand Surgery, University Hospital Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Dimitri Aristotle
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Raptis
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Citizens' Hospital Solothurn, Solothurn, Switzerland; Department of Plastic Surgery and Hand Surgery, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Department of Surgery, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Department of Surgery, Cantonal Hospital Olten, Olten, Switzerland; and Department of Plastic Surgery and Hand Surgery, University Hospital Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Merlin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guggenheim
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Citizens' Hospital Solothurn, Solothurn, Switzerland; Department of Plastic Surgery and Hand Surgery, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Department of Surgery, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Department of Surgery, Cantonal Hospital Olten, Olten, Switzerland; and Department of Plastic Surgery and Hand Surgery, University Hospital Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Maziar
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shafighi