scholarly journals 3515 Readability of online patient education materials on gynecologic malignancies from major medical associations

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (s1) ◽  
pp. 28-29
Author(s):  
David Samuel ◽  
Nicole Vilardo ◽  
Sara Isani ◽  
Gregory Gressel
Keyword(s):  
Medical Association ◽  
Disease Control ◽  
Gynecologic Oncology ◽  
Gynecologic Cancer ◽  
Reading Level ◽  
Educational Materials ◽  
Gynecologic Malignancy ◽  
Medical Associations ◽  
Cancer Coalition ◽  
Grade Reading Level

OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: Patients are increasingly using online materials to learn about gynecologic cancer. Recent studies demonstrate that 85-96% of patients with a gynecologic malignancy utilize the Internet as a health resource. Providers can refer patients to educational materials produced by major medical associations available on their websites. However, patient educational materials (PEMs) published by professional organizations from other surgical specialties have been shown to be difficult to read for the average American. The NIH and AMA recommend that PEMs be written between a sixth and eighth grade reading level. In this study, we assess the readability of online PEMs on gynecologic cancer published by major medical associations. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Seven national medical association websites with PEMs on gynecologic malignancy were surveyed: American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Center for Disease Control, Foundation for Women’s Cancer, National Cancer Institute, National Cervical Cancer Coalition, National Ovarian Cancer Coalition, and Society of Gynecologic Oncology. Online PEMs were identified and analyzed using five validated readability indices. One-way ANOVA and Tukey’s test were performed to detect differences in readability between publishers. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Two hundred and thirty PEMs were included in this analysis. Mean readability grade levels with standard deviation were: 11.3 (2.8) for Coleman-Liau index; 11.8 (3.2) for Flesch-Kincaid; 11.1 (1.2) for FORCAST formula; 12.5 (2.7) for Gunning FOG formula; 12.1 (2.6) for New Dale-Chall formula; and 13.5 (2.5) for SMOG formula. Overall, PEMs were written at a mean 12th grade reading level. Only 4.3% of articles were written at an 8th grade reading level or below. ANOVA demonstrated a significant difference in readability between publishing associations (p<0.01). PEMs from the Center for Disease Control had a mean 10th grade reading level and were significantly lower than all other organizations. PEMs from The Foundation for Women’s Cancer had a mean 13th grade reading level and were significantly higher than most other organizations. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: Gynecologic oncology PEMs available from major medical association are written well above the recommended sixth to eight grade reading level. Simplifying PEMs may improve patient understanding of their disease and facilitate physician-patient communication.

Perioperative Outcomes of Combined Gynecologic Oncology and Urogynecologic Surgeries

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Abeer Eddib ◽  
Abeer Eddib ◽  
Ahmed Eddib ◽  
Kenneth Fan
Keyword(s):  
Urinary Incontinence ◽  
Pelvic Organ Prolapse ◽  
Operative Time ◽  
Gynecologic Oncology ◽  
Gynecologic Cancer ◽  
Pelvic Organ ◽  
Perioperative Outcomes ◽  
P Value ◽  
Gynecologic Malignancy ◽  
Improvement Program

Background: Many women diagnosed with a gynecologic malignancy may have coinciding urogynecologic complaints, such as pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and/or urinary incontinence, with approximately 35% reporting moderate to severe symptoms. Recent National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database inquiries of gynecologic cancer cases found only 2.3-2.4% of women undergoing interventional surgery for gynecologic malignancy also had a procedure for pelvic organ prolapse urinary incontinence (POPUI), and those combination cases did not show significant increase in postoperative risks. The purpose of our study is to review our cases of gynecologic cancer that underwent concomitant urogynecologic procedures and compare their perioperative outcomes to gynecologic cancer cases without concomitant urogynecologic procedures. Methods: A retrospective cohort study conducted at a teaching hospital included 29 gynecologic oncology patients who underwent robot-assisted total laparoscopic hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, and lymphadenectomy. Controls underwent standard staging procedure and were compared to women with concomitant pelvic floor dysfunction that underwent additional laparoscopic uterosacral ligament suspension for apical suspension and a sling for stress urinary incontinence (SUI). The primary outcome was operative time, defined as documented total operative time and robot console time. Secondary outcomes include delta hemoglobin, hospital length of stay, readmission rate, total pain medication, urinary retention and discharge with foley. Results: The combined case group had longer total procedure time duration (301 minutes versus 210 minutes, p-value < 0.0001), with comparable mean console time (178 minutes versus 160 minutes; p = 0.1456). Blood loss estimated by mean percent difference of Hgb showed moderate conditional dependence on surgical case (22.2% cases versus 14.9% controls, p-value 0.04). Combined cases resulted in 76.9% of subjects discharged with a foley catheter compared to none in controls (p-value < 0.0001). Otherwise, there was no difference in the other perioperative outcomes between the two groups. Conclusion: With appropriate counseling and clinical judgement, combined urogynecologic and gynecologic oncologic surgeries can be performed to improve a patient’s quality of life (QOL) with minimal increase in perioperative morbidity.

Readability Analysis of Online Patient Educational Materials on Blepharoplasty

2021 ◽  
pp. 074880682110283
Author(s):  
Manish J. Patel ◽  
Parth V. Shah ◽  
Stuti P. Garg ◽  
Robert T. Cristel
Keyword(s):  
Grade Level ◽  
Content Delivery ◽  
Reading Level ◽  
Fifth Grade ◽  
Educational Materials ◽  
Medical Provider ◽  
Common Procedure ◽  
Grade Reading Level ◽  
Available Information ◽  
Online Patient Education

Blepharoplasty is a common procedure for correction of eyelid appearance. Online educational material among surgical procedures is often written higher than the recommended fifth-grade level. The objective of this study is to evaluate the readability of online patient education materials (OPEMs) available on Google for patients interested in blepharoplasty. Using 6 different pre-established readability scores, the top 100 Google results on blepharoplasty were screened for analysis. A total of 87 OPEMs were found to be relevant yielding an average grade reading level of 11.90 (range 7-20; 95% confidence interval [CI], 11.45-12.33). In addition, OPEMs readability scores were not influenced by whether the author was a medical provider. This study demonstrated the average reading level for available information on blepharoplasty is higher than the recommended fifth-grade reading level. Readability is only one metric for evaluating comprehendible information; however, authors of online medical education need to be more conscious of the public’s ability to comprehend and should tailor their content delivery appropriately.

The quality, understandability, readability, and popularity of online educational materials for heart murmur

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 328-336
Author(s):  
Derya Arslan ◽  
Mahmut Sami Tutar ◽  
Betul Kozanhan ◽  
Zafer Bagci
Keyword(s):  
Grade Level ◽  
Sixth Grade ◽  
Reading Level ◽  
Web Pages ◽  
Heart Murmur ◽  
Educational Materials ◽  
Flesch Reading Ease ◽  
Global Quality ◽  
Ease Score ◽  
Grade Reading Level

AbstractObjective:Murmurs are abnormal audible heart sounds produced by turbulent blood flow. Therefore, murmurs in a child may be a source of anxiety for family members. Families often use online materials to explore possible reasons for these murmurs, given the accessibility of information on the Internet. In this study, we evaluated the quality, understandability, readability, and popularity of online materials about heart murmur.Methods:An Internet search was performed for “heart murmur” using the Google search engine. The global quality score (on a scale of 1 to 5, corresponding to poor to excellent quality) and Health on the Net code were used to measure the quality of information presented. The understandability of the web pages identified was measured using the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool (score range from 0 to 100%, scores below 70% reflect poor performance). The readability of each web pages was assessed using four validated indices: the Flesch Reading Ease Score, the Flesch–Kincaid Grade Level, the Gunning Frequency of Gobbledygook, and the Simple Measure of Gobbledygook. The ALEXA traffic tool was used to reference domains’ popularity and visibility.Results:We identified 230 English-language patient educational materials that discussed heart murmur. After exclusion, a total of 86 web pages were evaluated for this study. The average global quality score was 4.34 (SD = 0.71; range from 3 to 5) indicating that the quality of information of most websites was good. Only 14 (16.3%) websites had Health on the Net certification. The mean understandability score for all Internet-based patient educational materials was 74.6% (SD = 12.8%; range from 31.2 to 93.7%). A score suggesting these Internet-based patient educational materials were “easy to understand”. The mean readability levels of all patient educational materials were higher than the recommended sixth-grade reading level, according to all indices applied. This means that the level of readability is difficult. The average grade level for all web pages was 10.4 ± 1.65 (range from 7.53 to 14.13). The Flesch–Kincaid Grade level was 10 ± 1.81, the Gunning Frequency of Gobbledygook level was 12.1 ± 1.85, and the Simple Measure of Gobbledygook level was 9.1 ± 1.38. The average Flesch Reading Ease Score was 55 ± 9.1 (range from 32.4 to 72.9).Conclusion:We demonstrated that web pages describing heart murmurs were understandable and high quality. However, the readability level of the websites was above the recommended sixth-grade reading level. Readability of written materials from online sources need to be improved. However, care must be taken to ensure that the information of web pages is of a high quality and understandable.

scholarly journals American Society of Clinical Oncology 2013: Summary of Scientific Advancements in Gynecologic Cancer

2014 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramez N. Eskander ◽  
Krishnansu S. Tewari
Keyword(s):  
Cervical Cancer ◽  
Clinical Oncology ◽  
Gynecologic Oncology ◽  
Gynecologic Cancer ◽  
Phase 2 ◽  
Gynecologic Malignancy ◽  
General Session ◽  
Asco Meeting ◽  
American Society ◽  
Scientific Accomplishment

AbstractThe American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting was held in Chicago, Ill, from May 31, 2013, to June 4, 2013, and focused on “Building Bridges to Conquer Cancer.” An estimated 25,500 oncology professionals, with a broad range of interests, attended the meeting. Cervical cancer, a gynecologic malignancy with a significant global burden, was prominently featured at this year’s meeting. In a mark of exemplary scientific accomplishment within our specialty, 2 of the 5 general session plenaries investigated advancements in cervical cancer care, extending from improved screening to treatment of metastatic disease. This was followed by the presentation of several important phase 2 and 3 clinical trials in the Gynecologic Oncology Tract, focusing on cervical, ovarian, uterine, and breast cancer, which will be discussed in this report.

scholarly journals Bladder Cancer Health Literacy: Assessing Readability of Online Patient Education Materials

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Lauren E. Powell ◽  
Theodore I. Cisu ◽  
Adam P. Klausner
Keyword(s):  
Bladder Cancer ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Patient Education ◽  
Search Engine ◽  
Reading Ability ◽  
Health Care Expenditure ◽  
Reading Level ◽  
T Test ◽  
Grade Levels ◽  
Grade Reading Level

BACKGROUND: Understanding of health-related materials, termed health literacy, affects decision makings and outcomes in the treatment of bladder cancer. The National Institutes of Health recommend writing education materials at a sixth-seventh grade reading level [6]. The goal of this study is to assess readability of bladder cancer materials available online. OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study is to characterize available information about bladder cancer online and evaluate readability. METHODS: Materials on bladder cancer were collected from the American Urological Association’s Urology Care Foundation (AUA-UCF) and compared to top 50 websites by search engine results. Resources were analyzed using four different validated readability assessment scales. The mean and standard deviation of the materials was calculated, and a two-tailed t test for used to assess for significance between the two sets of patient education materials. RESULTS: The average readability of AUA materials was 8.5 (8th–9th grade reading level). For the top 50 websites, average readability was 11.7 (11–12th grade reading level). A two-tailed t test between the AUA and top 50 websites demonstrated statistical significance between the readability of the two sets of resources (P = 0.0001), with the top search engine results being several grade levels higher than the recommended 6–7th grade reading level. CONCLUSIONS: Most health information provided by the AUA on bladder cancer is written at a reading ability that aligns with most US adults, with top websites for search engine results exceeding the average reading level by several grade levels. By focusing on health literacy, urologists may contribute lowering barriers to health literacy, improving health care expenditure and perioperative complications.

Readability of Online Patient Information Relating to Cleft Palate Surgery

2021 ◽  
pp. 105566562110131
Author(s):  
Christopher V. Lavin ◽  
Evan J. Fahy ◽  
Darren B. Abbas ◽  
Michelle Griffin ◽  
Nestor M. Diaz Deleon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Cleft Palate ◽  
Grade Level ◽  
Reading Level ◽  
Online Information ◽  
Health Care Education ◽  
Search Results ◽  
Cleft Palate Repair ◽  
Grade Reading Level ◽  
Google Search

Objective: It is important for health care education materials to be easily understood by caretakers of children requiring craniofacial surgery. This study aimed to analyze the readability of Google search results as they pertain to “Cleft Palate Surgery” and “Palatoplasty.” Additionally, the study included a search from several locations globally to identify possible geographic differences. Design: Google searches of the terms “Cleft Palate Surgery” and “Palatoplasty” were performed. Additionally, searches of only “Cleft Palate Surgery” were run from several internet protocol addresses globally. Main Outcome Measures: Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level and Readability Ease, Gunning Fog Index, Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) index, and Coleman-Liau Index. Results: Search results for “Cleft Palate Surgery” were easier to read and comprehend compared to search results for “Palatoplasty.” Mean Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level scores were 7.0 and 10.11, respectively ( P = .0018). Mean Flesch-Kincaid Reading Ease scores were 61.29 and 40.71, respectively ( P = .0003). Mean Gunning Fog Index scores were 8.370 and 10.34, respectively ( P = .0458). Mean SMOG Index scores were 6.84 and 8.47, respectively ( P = .0260). Mean Coleman-Liau Index scores were 12.95 and 15.33, respectively ( P = .0281). No significant differences were found in any of the readability measures based on global location. Conclusions: Although some improvement can be made, craniofacial surgeons can be confident in the online information pertaining to cleft palate repair, regardless of where the search is performed from. The average readability of the top search results for “Cleft Palate Surgery” is around the seventh-grade reading level (US educational system) and compares favorably to other health care readability analyses.

¿Comprenderán Mis Amigos y La Familia? Analyzing Spanish Translations of Admission Materials for Latina/o Students Applying to 4-Year Institutions in the United States

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 195-209 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zachary W. Taylor
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
The United States ◽  
Reading Level ◽  
Spanish Language ◽  
First Year ◽  
Linguistic Capital ◽  
Undergraduate Admissions ◽  
Research And Practice ◽  
Grade Reading Level ◽  
Language Content

This study examines first-year undergraduate admissions materials from 325 bachelor-degree granting U.S. institutions, closely analyzing the English-language readability and Spanish-language readability and translation of these materials. Via Yosso’s linguistic capital, the results reveal 4.9% of first-year undergraduate admissions materials had been translated into Spanish, 4% of institutional admissions websites embed translation widgets, and the average readability of English-language content is above the 13th-grade reading level. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

scholarly journals User-centered design of discharge warnings tool for colorectal surgery patients

2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (5) ◽  
pp. 975-980 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aanand D Naik ◽  
Molly J Horstman ◽  
Linda T Li ◽  
Michael K Paasche-Orlow ◽  
Bryan Campbell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Colorectal Surgery ◽  
Reading Level ◽  
Heuristic Evaluation ◽  
User Centered Design ◽  
Post Discharge ◽  
Patient Centered ◽  
Discharge Care ◽  
8Th Grade ◽  
Grade Reading Level ◽  
User Centered

Abstract Objectives: Readmission following colorectal surgery, typically due to surgery-related complications, is common. Patient-centered discharge warnings may guide recognition of early complication signs after colorectal surgery. Materials and Methods: User-centered design of a discharge warnings tool consisted of iterative health literacy review and a heuristic evaluation with human factors and clinical experts as well as patient end users to establish content validity and usability. Results: Literacy evaluation of the prototype suggested &gt;12th-grade reading level. Subsequent revisions reduced reading level to 8th grade or below. Contents were formatted during heuristic evaluation into 3 action-oriented zones (green, yellow, and red) with relevant warning lexicons. Usability testing demonstrated comprehension of this 3-level lexicon and recognition of appropriate patient actions to take for each level. Discussion: We developed a discharge warnings tool for colorectal surgery using staged user-centered design. The lexicon of surgical discharge warnings could structure communication among patients, caregivers, and clinicians to improve post-discharge care.

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