Assessing the Readability of Online Information About Hip Arthroscopy

Mehta, Manisha; Swindell, Hasani W.; Westermann, Robert W.; Rosneck, James; Lynch, T. Sean

doi:10.1016/j.arthro.2018.02.039

Cited by 28 publications

(50 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…39,40 However, there is concern about the quality of health information that patients encounter. Many studies 29,34,35,[41][42][43] have shown that the quality of online health information, particularly in orthopaedics, is substandard. This may negatively influence patients' expectations about their diagnosis and treatment plan and change the dynamic of the patient-physician relationship.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Previous studies have evaluated the quality of online information available to patients undergoing orthopaedic procedures. [23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35] Given the prevalence of Internet users and searches for health information, as well as the high number of rotator cuff repairs performed each year, it is likely that patients scheduled for rotator cuff repair are likely to search the Internet to learn about the surgery. Thus, it is crucial to evaluate the quality of the online resources for rotator cuff repair.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Online Resources for Rotator Cuff Repair: What are Patients Reading?

Goldenberg

Schairer

Dekker

et al. 2019

Arthroscopy, Sports Medicine, and Rehabilitation

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Purpose: The purpose of this study was to use a novel scoring system to evaluate the content and grade the quality of websites that patients may use to learn about rotator cuff repair. Methods: Two search terms ("rotator cuff repair" and "rotator cuff surgery") were entered into 3 Internet search engines (Google, Yahoo, and Bing). We scored the quality of information using a novel scoring system. Website quality was further assessed by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmark criteria and Health on the Net Foundation (HON) code certification. The readability of the websites was evaluated with the Flesch-Kincaid score. Results: We evaluated 47 websites. The average quality for all websites was 6.47 AE 5.21 (maximum 20 points). There was a large difference in scores between the top 5 websites and the remaining websites (16.30 vs 5.51, P < .001). There was no difference in scores when comparing the 3 different search engines (P ¼ .85). The mean reading level was 10.17 AE 2.24. Reading level was not significantly correlated with quality (r s ¼ 0.14, P ¼ .36). The average JAMA benchmark criteria score for all websites was 2.34 AE 1.11 (maximum 4 points). JAMA criteria score was not significantly correlated with quality (r s ¼ 0.02, P ¼ .91). Sites without HONcode certification had higher quality scores (8.33 AE 4.80) than sites with HONcode certification (6.18 AE 4.66), but this difference was not statistically significant (P ¼ .15). Conclusion: The quality of patient-level information on rotator cuff repair on the Internet is both incomplete and written at a reading level higher than current recommendations. Information quality is not significantly correlated with reading level or JAMA criteria, and does not depend on the search term used or HONcode certification. Clinical Relevance: Patients having rotator cuff repair may seek information on the Internet; the information may require surgeon clarification.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Online Resources for Rotator Cuff Repair: What are Patients Reading?

Goldenberg

Schairer

Dekker

et al. 2019

Arthroscopy, Sports Medicine, and Rehabilitation

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“…[17][18][19] Expecting consistency with prior readability studies, the hypothesis of this work is that the grade-level readability of online material on Pap smears is written at a grade level greater than what is recommended by the AMA. [20][21][22][23]…”

Section: Ijmsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The readability of online health information has been evaluated in the past using standardized indices. [19][20][21][22][23] These metrics have been discussed in papers by the National Cancer Institute and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. 24,25 From these sources and further research on readability measures, four indices that each provide a grade-level readability were selected for this study.…”

Section: Readability Indicesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…24,25 From these sources and further research on readability measures, four indices that each provide a grade-level readability were selected for this study. [19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28] Considered together, these provide a reliable average readability for written materials; each measures readability in a unique way. The indices utilized are described below.…”

Section: Readability Indicesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Pap Smear Readability on Google: An Analysis of Online Articles Regarding One of the Most Routine Medical Screening Tests

et al. 2020

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Background: The Papanicolau smear (Pap smear, Pap test) is one of the most routine of all screening tests performed in medicine. Its advent and widespread use has brought a considerable decrease in the incidence of cervical cancer. Unfortunately, this malignancy continues to convey significant morbidity and mortality. Much of this is the result of inadequate compliance with routine Pap smear screening, in which limited education is thought to play a role, particularly among ethnic minorities. Methods: A Google search using the phrase “pap smears” was performed and the first fourteen Uniform Resource Locators were analyzed using four standardized readability indices: the Flesh-Kinkaid Grade Level, the SMOG index, the Gunning Fog Index and the Automated Readability Index. An average grade level readability was then obtained and compared to the AMA recommendation that health care information be written at a 5th or 6th grade reading level. Results: The average grade level readability of the fourteen analyzed sites using four aforementioned indices were 8.86, 8.82, 11.92 and 8.35, respectfully. The total average readability after considering all four indices was 9.49, three grade levels above what the AMA has recommended. Conclusion: The readability of commonly accessed internet information regarding Pap smears is above what is recommended by the AMA. Physicians should be cognizant of this, particularly given this is a routine healthcare test that should be undergone by nearly fifty percent of the world’s population at various points throughout their lifetime.

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A standardised method for improving the readability of patient education materials for total hip & knee arthroplasty patients

Baumann,

Marshall,

O’Malley

et al. 2024

Musculoskeletal Care

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PurposeOrthopaedic Patient Education Materials (PEMs) related to total hip and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) have repeatedly been shown to not meet American Medical Association and National Institutes of Health recommendations for readability. PEMs that are written with too much complexity limit the ability of some readers to comprehend the material. These complex PEMs also limit the health literacy of patients, a key determinant of health status and outcomes. The purpose of this study was to improve the readability of total hip and TKA‐related PEMs by limiting the use of sentences with ≥15 words and limiting the use of words with ≥ three syllables.MethodsThe readability of all 26 PEMs in this study was assessed before and after editing. Editing of articles included limiting the use of sentences with ≥15 words and limiting the use of words with ≥three syllables while preserving PEM content.ResultsA total of 26 PEMs were available for use in this study after the application of inclusion and exclusion criteria. The percentage of original PEMs at or below the recommended sixth‐grade reading level was 0% (0 out of 26), while the percentage of edited PEMs at or below the sixth‐grade reading level was 50% (13 out of 26).ConclusionsUsing this standardised method for reducing sentence length to <15 words and limiting the use of words with >2 syllables, while preserving key content, significantly improved the readability of PEMs related to total hip and TKA.

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Assessing the Readability of Online Information About Hip Arthroscopy

Cited by 28 publications

References 37 publications

Online Resources for Rotator Cuff Repair: What are Patients Reading?

Online Resources for Rotator Cuff Repair: What are Patients Reading?

Pap Smear Readability on Google: An Analysis of Online Articles Regarding One of the Most Routine Medical Screening Tests

A standardised method for improving the readability of patient education materials for total hip & knee arthroplasty patients

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