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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2014 Sep 27.
Published in final edited form as: Nephrol Nurs J. 2014 Jul-Aug;41(4):355–364.

Table 4.

Forty Websites Reviewed and Their DISCERN and Readability Scores

Title URL and archived URLa DISCERNb FREc
American Kidney Fund http://www.kidneyfund.org/kidney-health/kidney-failure
http://www.webcitation.org/6O3CCzxN9 		13 76.7
Avantus Renal Therapy http://www.avantusrenaltherapy.com/
http://www.webcitation.org/6O3Ap9n4M 		7 43.3
DaVita http://www.davita.com
http://www.webcitation.org/6O3BOFQOr 		28 56.6
Diabetes.org http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/complications/kidney-disease-nephropathy.html
http://www.webcitation.org/6O31nHZ7W 		14 59.5
Emedicine Health http://www.emedicinehealth.com/chronic_kidney_disease/article_em.htm
http://www.webcitation.org/6O3Bs1o8G 		20 49.4
Fresenius Medical Care http://www.fmcna.com/fmcna/index.htm
http://www.webcitation.org/6O3C1Qmn2 		18 66.0
Health Scout http://www.healthscout.com/ency/1/55/main.html
http://www.webcitation.org/6O3C59kI7 		18 50.9
Healthy People http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topicsobjectives2020/overview.aspx?topicid=6
http://www.webcitation.org/6O3C9ReZU 		26 34.9
Kidney Trust http://kidneytrust.org/learn/calculate-kidney-function 27 76.7
Life Options http://lifeoptions.org/kidneyinfo/ckdinfo.php?page=4
http://www.webcitation.org/6O30tGib1 		22 78.9
Livestrong http://www.livestrong.com/kidney-function
http://www.webcitation.org/6O3CQTfcH 		23 48.2
Mayo Clinic http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/kidney-failure/DS00682
http://www.webcitation.org/6O3CWDJri 		33 43.8
Medical News Today – Chronic kidney failure http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/172179.php
http://www.webcitation.org/6O3CZjFje 		20 40.1
Medical News Today – Dialysis http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/152902.php
http://www.webcitation.org/6O3Cdev4S 		9 41.4
MedicineNet – Dialysis http://www.medicinenet.com/dialysis/article.htm
http://www.webcitation.org/6O3ChXQOP 		11 59.1
MedicineNet – Kidney disease http://www.medicinenet.com/kidney_disease_hypertension-related/article.htm
http://www.webcitation.org/6O3CmsLSd 		25 59.9
MedicineNet – Kidney failure http://www.medicinenet.com/kidney_failure/article.htm
http://www.webcitation.org/6O3CsoDYq 		23 49.8
Medscape http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/238798-overview
http://www.webcitation.org/6O2y4ysA3 		35 26.3
National Kidney Foundation – CKD http://www.kidney.org/kidneyDisease/
http://www.webcitation.org/6O3CKDfAs 		19 53.1
National Kidney Foundation – Dialysis http://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/dialysisinfo.cfm
http://www.webcitation.org/6O3Cx95sb 		20 61.6
National Library of Medicine – CKD http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001503
http://www.webcitation.org/6O3D3Kkef 		22 66.3
New York Times Health http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/test/dialysis/overview.html 13 49.0
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) – Hemodialysis http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/hemodialysis
http://www.webcitation.org/6O3D6H4rr 		26 52.4
NIDDK – Peritoneal dialysis http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/peritoneal
http://www.webcitation.org/6O3DCRPlR 		26 60.9
NIDDK – Kidneys and how they work http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/yourkidneys/
http://www.webcitation.org/6O3DGN43O 		25 63.6
Baxter Renal Info http://www.renalinfo.com/us/how_kidneys_work_and_fail/kidney_functions/index.html
http://www.webcitation.org/6O3DLAKNE 		25 68.8
The Medical Dictionary http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Kidney+Function+Tests 22 39.5
Ultracare Dialysis http://www.ultracare-dialysis.com
http://www.webcitation.org/6O3DOTbkz 		21 66.0
Up To Date http://www.uptodate.com/contents/dialysis-or-kidney-transplantation-which-is-right-for-me-beyond-the-basics
http://www.webcitation.org/6O2zWFyaY 		29 38.3
WebMD – CKD http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/chronic-kidney-disease-topic-overview
http://www.webcitation.org/6O2z8i7UR 		32 69.2
WebMD – Kidney dialysis http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/kidney-dialysis
http://www.webcitation.org/6O3DSsDyv 		10 58.1
WebMD – Your kidneys and how they work http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/function-kidneys
http://www.webcitation.org/6O3DZiY4Z 		24 63.2
WebMD – Understanding kidney disease http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/understanding-kidney-disease-basic-information
http://www.webcitation.org/6O3DdE3jY 		21 49.1
Wikipedia – CKD http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronic_kidney_disease
http://www.webcitation.org/6O3Dgeffu 		24 34.6
Wikipedia – Dialysis http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dialysis
http://www.webcitation.org/6O3DiWFMC 		33 23.4
Wikipedia – Hemodialysis http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemodialysis
http://www.webcitation.org/6O3DkHZvj 		35 23.8
Wikipedia – Kidney http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kidney
http://www.webcitation.org/6O3DmR6dl 		24 29.0
Wikipedia – Renal Function http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kidney_function
http://www.webcitation.org/6O3Doqvgg 		33 37.6
Wikipedia – Renal Failure http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renal_failure
http://www.webcitation.org/6O3DregVg 		32 39.1
Yahoo! Health http://health.yahoo.net/health/chronic-kidney-disease
http://www.webcitation.org/6O2zwM9Qk 		21 49.0
a

Websites checked and archived using WebCitation.org on March 13, 2014.

b

The possible total DISCERN score ranges from 8 to 40, with higher scores indicating better quality.

c

FRE scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating greater readability. Scores between 0 and 30 are considered complex and at the graduate level; texts scoring between 30 and 60 are difficult and above-average. A score of 60–70 is considered standard and is written at approximately the high-school level. Scores between 70 and 90 are below-average reading level, and a score between 90 and 100 indicates easy text (Finn, 1985).