Readability Assessment of Internet-Based Patient Education Materials Related to Parathyroid Surgery

Abstract

Online PEM on parathyroid surgery is written above the recommended sixth-grade reading level. Improving readability of PEM may promote better health education and compliance.

Are Online Zenker’s Diverticulum Materials Readable and Understandable?

“…6,7 The American Medical Association (AMA) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommend health care materials be written between fourth-and sixth-grade reading levels 8,9 ; however, many studies have shown currently available PEMs on various health care-related topics are written well above this. [3][4][5][6][7][10][11][12][13][14] Unfortunately, a major limitation of readability formulas is no assessment of whether the material is understandable to the target audience. Understandability refers to the quality of information that makes it comprehensible to consumers of diverse backgrounds and varying levels of health literacy.…”

“…This is also consistent with existing literature reporting that the reading grade level of Internet-based PEMs is much higher than recommended. [10][11][12][13][14] One reason for high readability grade levels for healthrelated information might be the fact that medical jargon often consists of multisyllabic words, which raises the readability grade level. As an example, in the materials reviewed, the term Zenker's diverticulum was repeated multiple times in each PEM, inadvertently increasing the calculated reading grade levels.…”

“…18,26 However, computer scoring, being faster and incorporating less personal bias than hand-scored materials, is currently the standard of evaluation for readability in medical literature as evidenced by its use in numerous articles. [3][4][5][6][7][10][11][12][13][14] Another limitation may be the use of only one search engine to identify PEMs on ZD. Results from a Google search were chosen for analysis as it is the most commonly used search engine 27 and to be in line with most other published studies on readability analysis that have used Google exclusively.…”

“…Results from a Google search were chosen for analysis as it is the most commonly used search engine 27 and to be in line with most other published studies on readability analysis that have used Google exclusively. [10][11][12][13][14] …”

Consistency of written post‐operative patient information for common urological procedures

“…The Flesch–Kincaid score uses sentence length and number of syllables to determine readability, while other widely used measures rely heavily on the number of polysyllabic words. Avoiding medical jargon, inclusion of appropriate diagrams and illustrations, using shorter sentences and attention to leaflet text size, font and layout can all help improve readability . It is imperative that patient information not just be provided, but be written simple enough to be widely and completely understood.…”