Readability of Pediatric Patient Education Materials

Klingbeil, Carol; Speece, Mark; Schubiner, Howard

doi:10.1177/000992289503400206

Cited by 39 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…More than thirty different formulas for calculating readability have been developed by educators and publishers since the I 940s (Kingbell & Speece 1995). Those more commonly used include Dale and Chall (1948), Flesch (1948), Fog (Gunning 1952), Fry (1968) and SMOG (Simple Measure Of Gobbledygook; McLaughlin 1969).…”

Section: ; Burtonmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Readabilityformulas are popular becausethey are "relatively easyto employ, they give quantitative ratings, and they help writers use simple sentences and vocabulary" (Nitzke & Voichick 1992:263 (Kingbell & Speece 1995). Multiple formulas should therefore be employed to assessa text (Leichter et oJ.…”

Section: How Useful Are Readability Formulas?mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Multiple formulas should therefore be employed to assessa text (Leichter et oJ. 1981) and an average readability index calculated across all scores (Kingbell & Speece 1995). Further, readability of the most difficult section of the document, which could inhibit further reading, should also be calculated along with the averageoverall readability of the text (ibid).…”

Section: How Useful Are Readability Formulas?mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Caution should also be exercised when applying readability formulas to an audience different to that on which the formula was validated (for instance, children in the USA for SMOG; Kingbell & Speece 1995) (NCI 1994). Assessing the readability of print materials repackaged for rural dwellers in developing countries may therefore require novel methodology and assessmentcriteria.…”

Section: How Useful Are Readability Formulas?mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Getting the write message right: Review of guidelines for producing readable print agricultural information materials

Morris

Stilwell

2013

South African Journal of Libraries and Information Science

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Print agricultural information materials (PAlMs 71 IntroductionScientific and technical information is important in both subsistence and commercial agricultural production systems (Youdeowei et al. 1995). Information is critical for farmers to maintain livelihoods or to gain a competitive edge in a rapidly changingeconomic and production environment where traditional farming methods might be insufficient to meet new demands (Morton & Matthewman 1996). Extension agencies frequently produce printed agricultural information materials (PAlMs), such as brochures, leaflets, booklets and newsletters, to disseminate information to farmers (Velasco et 01. 1996). Morris (2000) identified 138 such PAlMS produced in South Africa to provide information to communal livestock farmers or their advisors.The purpose of producing a PAlM would be to present, in an attractive and readable form, technical information that the intended user requires for his/her farming. To achievethis, scientific and technical agricultural information needs to be consolidated, rewritten and appropriately packaged. Stilwell (2000) noted the importance of such 'repackaging' of information for rural dwellers in developing countries where the 'information divide' between the information-rich (usuallyurban) and information-poor (the rural poor) (Castelis 1996) is not only wide but also deep becauseof a dearth of information in a readable and useable form. Sturges and Neill (1998:44) suggestthat repackaging should be a priority of government and other extension/information agenciesbecause"information that the extension workers are supposed to disseminate too frequently takes the form of a series of highly technical packages, which are no doubt as incomprehensible to them as they are to the barely literate farmers they are struggling to advise." Bembridge (1997) surveyed the availability of printed extension material aimed at small-scalefarmers in South Africa and found the quality of availablepublications to be variable and their distribution ad hoc. Few objective criteria have been consistently applied to evaluate the quality of information materials (Bembridge 1991). Guidelines are therefore needed to assist extension communicators working in academic, government, parastatal and non-government organizations develop effective print extension materials and to evaluate existing PAlMs for possible use in the communities they serve.This review addresses the critical gap in the knowledge concerning guidelines for the production of readable and useful print extension materials. Literature relevant to the topic is fragmented and dispersed, largely available as tips on specific aspects of repackaging rather than as an integrated set of guidelines for extension communicators. Little of the available material is aimed at repackagingagricultural or other rural development information.Our primary purpose is to review and consolidate the agricultural as well as health/nutrition and basic adult education literature on repackaging extension information in print. Befo...

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Section: ; Burtonmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: How Useful Are Readability Formulas?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: How Useful Are Readability Formulas?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: How Useful Are Readability Formulas?mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Getting the write message right: Review of guidelines for producing readable print agricultural information materials

Morris

Stilwell

2013

South African Journal of Libraries and Information Science

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“…16 • There is consensus amongst researchers that producers of information material almost always overestimate the ability of the audience to read and understand printed messages. 6,17,15,16,19 Specialists in health communication in South Africa advise that the readability level should ideally be lowered to the fourth grade. 4 • Readability is influenced by the way in which different linguistic components of language are organized.…”

Section: 11mentioning

confidence: 99%

Using the printed medium to disseminate information about psychiatric disorders: original article

Snyman¹

2004

Afr. J. Psych

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Introduction of a Recorded Health Information Line Into a Pediatric Practice

Kempe

Dempsey²,

Poole³

1999

Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med

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To examine the utilization, satisfaction, and parental health-seeking behavior associated with the introduction of the Parent Advice Line (PAL), a collection of 278 recorded health-related messages accessible by telephone, into a private practice. Design: Booklets listing PAL topics were mailed to eligible families, and utilization data were collected for all incoming PAL calls from June to August 1996. Satisfaction and effect on health-seeking behavior were assessed using a recorded questionnaire appended to each call (n = 561) and a randomized telephone questionnaire (n = 821). Setting: A suburban, 7-pediatrician practice in Colorado. Patients: Families with children younger than 12 years seen in the practice within 2 years (N = 8365). Results: Of families who reported receiving the mailed PAL booklet, 32% used PAL. Sixty percent of PAL calls were placed during office hours, 21% from 5 PM to 9 PM, and 8% after midnight; call volume was higher on weekdays than on weekend days (25 calls per day vs 10 calls per day, respectively; PϽ.05 by 2 test). The 5 most commonly requested topic categories were toilet training, sexual development, discipline problems, sleep problems, and teenage behavior. Preventive care topics predominated in infants, behavioral topics in preschool children, and acute illness topics in school-aged children. Of users, 88% were satisfied or very satisfied and 98% said that they would use PAL again. Respondents to the 2 questionnaires reported that use of PAL made a call or visit to their child's physician unnecessary 58% to 69% and 61% to 70% of the time, respectively. Conclusions: The PAL was used primarily to access information about behavioral and developmental issues during office hours. Its use was associated with high rates of satisfaction and, by parental report, decreased calls or visits to a physician.

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Readability of Pediatric Patient Education Materials

Cited by 39 publications

References 11 publications

Getting the write message right: Review of guidelines for producing readable print agricultural information materials

Getting the write message right: Review of guidelines for producing readable print agricultural information materials

Using the printed medium to disseminate information about psychiatric disorders: original article

Introduction of a Recorded Health Information Line Into a Pediatric Practice

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