Table 2.

Content analysis: information on tinnitus assessment

Website	Sudden hearing loss¶	Significant distress¶	Cranial nerve symptoms¶\	Pulsatile tinnitus¶	Unilateral hearing loss ®	Persistent tinnitus ®	Unilateral tinnitus ®	Impact on QOL ®	Anxiety	Depression	Sleep problems	Onset, causes	Tinnitus pitch/loudness	Hearing loss	Hearing difficulties	Otoscopy	Carotid bruit	General medical
Map of Medicine	√√	√√	√	√√	√√	√	√√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√
BTA				√				√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√		√
GP notebook	√√	√√	√	√√	√√		√√	√√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√
eMedicine				√	√		√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√		√	√	√
CKS	√√	√√	√	√	√√		√√	√√	√	√	√	√	√	√		√		√
Mentor-online				√		√	√√	√	√	√		√	√	√		√	√
GP online		√√	√	√√		√	√√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√			√
Action on Hearing Loss	√√	√		√	√√		√√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√
Patient.co.uk			√	√		√	√√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√
NHS Choices				√			√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√				√

Use of each keyword or phrase on each website is indicated by a single tick (√). A double tick (√√) indicated that the keyword or phrase was used in the context of a referral criterion as defined by Department of Health. A blank cell indicates the keyword or phrase was not used. Sudden hearing loss, significant distress, cranial nerve symptoms and pulsatile tinnitus are all defined as ‘red flags’ for immediate referral to secondary care (¶). Unilateral hearing loss, persistent tinnitus, unilateral tinnitus, and impact of Quality of Life (QOL) are defined as criteria for referral to secondary care ®. BTA British Tinnitus Association, CKS Clinical Knowledge Summaries.