Readability and Quality Assessment of Internet-Based Patient Education Materials Regarding Diabetic Foot Ulcers (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Michael Lee ◽  
Elysia Grose ◽  
Karen Cross
Keyword(s):  
Patient Education ◽  
Diabetic Foot ◽  
Grade Level ◽  
Foot Ulcers ◽  
Diabetic Foot Ulcers ◽  
Flesch Reading Ease ◽  
Reading Grade Level ◽  
Ease Score ◽  
Quality And Reliability ◽  
Online Patient Education

BACKGROUND While diabetic foot ulcers are a common complication of diabetes, little is known about the content and readability of online patient education materials for diabetic foot ulcers. The recommended reading grade level for these materials is grade 6th - 8th. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the quality and readability of online patient education materials on diabetic foot ulcers. METHODS A Google search was performed using four different search terms related to DFUs. Six different tools were used to assess the readability of included patient education materials. These included the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, Flesch-Reading Ease Score, Gunning-Fog Index, Simple Measure of Gobbledygook Index, Coleman-Liau Index, and Automated Readability Index. The DISCERN tool was used to assess quality and reliability RESULTS Fourty-one online patient education materials were included. The average Flesch-Reading Ease score for all patient education materials was 63.43±14.21, indicating a standard difficulty level of reading. The average reading grade level was 9.33±2.6, which is higher than the recommended reading level for patient education materials. The mean DISCERN score was 45.66±3.34 and 27% (11/41) of articles had DISCERN scores less than 39, corresponding to poor or very poor quality. CONCLUSIONS The majority of online patient education materials on diabetic foot ulcers are written above the recommended reading levels and have significant deficiencies in terms of their quality and reliability. Clinicians and patients should be aware of the shortcomings of these resources and consider the impact they may have on patients’ self-management.

Critical Quality and Readability Analysis of Online Patient Education Materials on Parotidectomy: A Cross-Sectional Study

2022 ◽  
pp. 000348942110666
Author(s):  
Elysia Miriam Grose ◽  
Emily YiQin Cheng ◽  
Marc Levin ◽  
Justine Philteos ◽  
Jong Wook Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Patient Education ◽  
Grade Level ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Online Information ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Flesch Reading Ease ◽  
Ease Score ◽  
Google Search ◽  
Online Patient Education

Purpose: Complications related to parotidectomy can cause significant morbidity, and thus, the decision to pursue this surgery needs to be well-informed. Given that information available online plays a critical role in patient education, this study aimed to evaluate the readability and quality of online patient education materials (PEMs) regarding parotidectomy. Methods: A Google search was performed using the term “parotidectomy” and the first 10 pages of the search were analyzed. Quality and reliability of the online information was assessed using the DISCERN instrument. Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL) and Flesch-Reading Ease Score (FRE) were used to evaluate readability. Results: Thirty-five PEMs met the inclusion criteria. The average FRE score was 59.3 and 16 (46%) of the online PEMs had FRE scores below 60 indicating that they were fairly difficult to very difficult to read. The average grade level of the PEMs was above the eighth grade when evaluated with the FKGL. The average DISCERN score was 41.7, which is indicative of fair quality. There were no significant differences between PEMs originating from medical institutions and PEMs originating from other sources in terms of quality or readability. Conclusion: Online PEMs on parotidectomy may not be comprehensible to the average individual. This study highlights the need for the development of more appropriate PEMs to inform patients about parotidectomy.

scholarly journals Readability and quality assessment of internet-based patient education materials related to nasal septoplasty

2021 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elysia M. Grose ◽  
Connor P. Holmes ◽  
Kaishan A. Aravinthan ◽  
Vincent Wu ◽  
John M. Lee
Keyword(s):  
Patient Education ◽  
Grade Level ◽  
Reading Level ◽  
Common Procedure ◽  
Flesch Reading Ease ◽  
Quality And Reliability ◽  
Google Search ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Online Patient Education ◽  
Nasal Septoplasty

Abstract Background Given that nasal septoplasty is a common procedure in otolaryngology – head and neck surgery, the objective of this study was to evaluate the quality and readability of online patient education materials on septoplasty. Methods A Google search was performed using eight different search terms related to septoplasty. Six different tools were used to assess the readability of included patient education materials. These included the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, Flesch Reading Ease, Gunning-Fog Index, Simple Measure of Gobbledygook Index, Coleman-Liau Index, and Automated Readability Index. The DISCERN tool was used to assess quality and reliability. Results Eighty-five online patient education materials were included. The average Flesch-Reading Ease score for all patient education materials was 54.9 ± 11.5, indicating they were fairly difficult to read. The average reading grade level was 10.5 ± 2.0, which is higher than the recommended reading level for patient education materials. The mean DISCERN score was 42.9 ± 10.5 and 42% (36/85) of articles had DISCERN scores less than 39, corresponding to poor or very poor quality. Conclusion The majority of online patient education materials on septoplasty are written above the recommended reading levels and have significant deficiencies in terms of their quality and reliability. Clinicians and patients should be aware of the shortcomings of these resources and consider the impact they may have on patients’ decision making.

Patient education for the prevention of diabetic foot ulcers

2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 102-107b ◽  
Author(s):  
M Annersten Gershater ◽  
E Pilhammar ◽  
J Apelqvist ◽  
C Alm-Roijer
Keyword(s):  
Patient Education ◽  
Diabetic Foot ◽  
Foot Ulcers ◽  
Diabetic Foot Ulcers

scholarly journals An Analysis of the Readability of Educational Materials on the Consumer Webpage of a Health Professional Organization: Considerations for Practice

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naudia Falconer ◽  
E. Reicherter ◽  
Barbara Billek-Sawhney ◽  
Steven Chesbro
Keyword(s):  
Patient Education ◽  
Health Professional ◽  
Grade Level ◽  
Sixth Grade ◽  
Reading Level ◽  
Professional Organization ◽  
Flesch Reading Ease ◽  
Ease Score ◽  
Site Evaluation ◽  
American Physical

The readability level of many patient education materials is too high for patients to comprehend, placing the patient’s health at risk. Since health professionals often recommend Internet-based patient education resources, they must ensure that the readability of information provided to consumers is at an appropriate level. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the readability of educational brochures found on the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) consumer website. Methods: Fourteen educational brochures on the APTA website in March 2008 were analyzed using the following assessments: Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, Flesch Reading Ease, Fry Readability Formula, Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG), Checklist for Patient Education Materials, and Consumer Health Web Site Evaluation Checklist. Results: According to the Flesch-Kincaid and Flesch Reading Ease, over 90% of the brochures were written at greater than a sixth grade level. The mean reading level was grade 10.2 (range = 3.1 to 12) with a Reading Ease score between 31.5 to 79.9. Using the SMOG formula, the brochures had a mean reading level of grade 11.5 (range = 9 to 13). The Fry Readability showed that 85% of the brochures were written higher than a sixth grade level, with a mean reading level of grade 9.5 (range = 6 to 14). Conclusion: Findings suggest that most of the consumer education information available on the website of this health professional organization had readability scores that were too high for average consumers to read.

Quality, Readability, and Trends for Websites on Ankyloglossia

2018 ◽  
Vol 127 (7) ◽  
pp. 439-444 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Leigh Aaronson ◽  
Johnathan Edward Castaño ◽  
Jeffrey P. Simons ◽  
Noel Jabbour
Keyword(s):  
Grade Level ◽  
Reading Level ◽  
Google Trends ◽  
Optimal Range ◽  
Flesch Reading Ease ◽  
Search Terms ◽  
Reading Grade Level ◽  
Public Health Information ◽  
Ease Score ◽  
Readability Formula

Objective: This study evaluates the quality and readability of websites on ankyloglossia, tongue tie, and frenulectomy. Methods: Google was queried with six search terms: tongue tie, tongue tie and breastfeeding, tongue tie and frenulectomy, ankyloglossia, ankyloglossia and breastfeeding, and ankyloglossia and frenulectomy. Website quality was assessed using the DISCERN instrument. Readability was evaluated using the Flesch-Kincaid Reading Grade Level, Flesch Reading Ease Score, and Fry readability formula. Correlations were calculated. Search terms were analyzed for frequency using Google Trends and the NCBI database. Results: Of the maximum of 80, average DISCERN score for the websites was 65.7 (SD = 9.1, median = 65). Mean score for the Flesch-Kincaid Reading Grade Level was 11.6 (SD = 3.0, median = 10.7). Two websites (10%) were in the optimal range of 6 to 8. Google Trends shows tongue tie searches increasing in frequency, although the NCBI database showed a decreased in tongue tie articles. Conclusions: Most of the websites on ankyloglossia were of good quality; however, a majority were above the recommended reading level for public health information. Parents increasingly seek information on ankyloglossia online, while fewer investigators are publishing articles on this topic.

Health Literacy: Readability of ACC/AHA Online Patient Education Material

Cardiology ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 138 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karan Kapoor ◽  
Praveen George ◽  
Matthew C. Evans ◽  
Weldon J. Miller ◽  
Stanley S. Liu
Keyword(s):  
Patient Education ◽  
Grade Level ◽  
Heart Association ◽  
Reading Level ◽  
Patient Education Material ◽  
Education Material ◽  
Reading Grade Level ◽  
8Th Grade ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Online Patient Education

Objectives: To determine whether the online patient education material offered by the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the American Heart Association (AHA) is written at a higher level than the 6th-7th grade level recommended by the National Institute of Health (NIH). Methods: Online patient education material from each website was subjected to reading grade level (RGL) analysis using the Readability Studio Professional Edition. One-sample t testing was used to compare the mean RGLs obtained from 8 formulas to the NIH-recommended 6.5 grade level and 8th grade national mean. Results: In total, 372 articles from the ACC website and 82 from the AHA were studied. Mean (±SD) RGLs for the 454 articles were 9.6 ± 2.1, 11.2 ± 2.1, 11.9 ± 1.6, 10.8 ± 1.6, 9.7 ± 2.1, 10.8 ± 0.8, 10.5 ± 2.6, and 11.7 ± 3.5 according to the Flesch-Kincaid grade level (FKGL), Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG Index), Coleman-Liau Index (CLI), Gunning-Fog Index (GFI), New Dale-Chall reading level formula (NDC), FORCAST, Raygor Readability Estimate (RRE), and Fry Graph (Fry), respectively. All analyzed articles had significantly higher RGLs than both the NIH-recommended grade level of 6.5 and the national mean grade level of 8 (p < 0.00625). Conclusions: Patient education material provided on the ACC and AHA websites is written above the NIH-recommended 6.5 grade level and 8th grade national mean reading level. Additional studies are required to demonstrate whether lowering the RGL of this material improves outcomes among patients with cardiovascular disease.

scholarly journals SUFE and the internet: are healthcare information websites accessible to parents?

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. e000782
Author(s):  
Andrea Mc Carthy ◽  
Colm Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Grade Level ◽  
Surgical Intervention ◽  
Sixth Grade ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Flesch Reading Ease ◽  
Reading Grade Level ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Ease Score ◽  
Slipped Upper Femoral Epiphysis ◽  
Translation Services

BackgroundSlipped upper femoral epiphysis is an adolescent hip disorder requiring rapid surgical intervention. Faced with the prospect of their child undergoing surgery, many fearful parents will turn to the internet to provide information and reassurance. Previous studies have shown the orthopaedic information can be difficult to comprehend.ObjectiveAssess the readability of healthcare websites regarding slipped upper femoral epiphysis.MethodsThe term Slipped Upper Femoral Epiphysis was searched in Google, Bing and Yahoo. The websites were evaluated using readability software with seven specialised readability tests including the Flesch-Kincaid Reading Grade Level, the Flesch Reading Ease Score, the Simple Measure of Gobbledygook, Coleman-Liau Index, Automated Readability Index and the Gunning Fog Index. The reading grade level (RGL) was also calculated.A Flesich Read Ease Score (FRES) score above 65 and an RGL of sixth grade and under was considered acceptable. Websites were also assessed for translation services.Results21 unique websites were assessed. The average FRES was 52.5±15.4. Only 3 websites scored 65 or higher (14%). There was a statistically significant difference between website scores based on affiliation, with physician websites having the overall highest mean(p=0.004).The average RGL was 8.67±1.8. Only two websites met the accepted RGL criteria (9.5%) while five websites were marked as extremely difficult to understand (23.8%). Only five websites offered translations (23.8%). There was no statistically significant difference in readability scores between websites which offered translation and those which did not.One-sample t-tests showed that both the RGL (p<0.001; CI 1.83 to 3.49) and the FRES (p<0.001, CI −19.4 to −5.4) scores were significantly different from the accepted standard.ConclusionMost websites reviewed were above the recommended RGL, making content inaccessible. Improving readability and translation services would enhance the internet’s usability as a healthcare tool for parents.

scholarly journals Readability of patient education materials related to radiation safety: What are the implications for patient-centred radiology care?

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Francis T. Delaney ◽  
Tiarnán Ó. Doinn ◽  
James M. Broderick ◽  
Emma Stanley
Keyword(s):  
Grade Level ◽  
Radiation Safety ◽  
Reading Level ◽  
Online Resources ◽  
Flesch Reading Ease ◽  
Reading Grade Level ◽  
8Th Grade ◽  
Ease Score ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Grade Reading Level

Abstract Background Increasing numbers of patients and carers rely on online resources for healthcare information. Radiation safety can be misunderstood by patients and clinicians and lead to patient anxiety. We aimed to assess the readability of online patient educational materials (PEMs) related to radiation safety. Methods A total of 84 articles pertaining to radiation safety from 14 well-known online resources were identified. PEMs were then analysed using Readability Studio Professional Edition Version 2019. Readability was assessed using eight different instruments: the Flesch-Kincaid Reading Grade Level, Raygor Estimate, SMOG, Coleman–Liau, Fry, FORCAST, Gunning Fog, and Flesch Reading Ease Score formula. The mean reading grade level (RGL) of each article was compared to the 6th and 8th grade reading level using 1-sample t-tests. Results The cumulative mean RGL for all 84 articles was 13.3 (range = 8.6–17.4), and none were written at or below the 6th or 8th grade level. The cumulative mean RGL exceeded the 6th grade reading level by an average of 7.3 levels (95% CI, 6.8–7.8; p < 0.001) and the 8th grade level by an average of 5.3 grade levels (95% CI, 4.8–5.8; p < 0.001). The mean Flesch Reading Ease Score was 39/100 (‘difficult’). Conclusion Currently available online PEMs related to radiation safety are still written at higher than recommended reading levels. Radiation safety is a topic in which the specialist training of radiologists is crucial in providing guidance to patients. Addressing the readability of online PEMs can improve radiology-patient communication and support the shift to a patient-centred model of practice.

scholarly journals Readability of Online Materials Related to Vocal Cord Leukoplakia

OTO Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 2473974X2110326
Author(s):  
Matthew Shneyderman ◽  
Grace E. Snow ◽  
Ruth Davis ◽  
Simon Best ◽  
Lee M. Akst
Keyword(s):  
Patient Education ◽  
Vocal Cord ◽  
Grade Level ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Academic Medical Center ◽  
Entire Cohort ◽  
Flesch Reading Ease ◽  
Ease Score ◽  
Google Search

Objectives To assess readability and understandability of online materials for vocal cord leukoplakia. Study Design Review of online materials. Setting Academic medical center. Methods A Google search of “vocal cord leukoplakia” was performed, and the first 50 websites were considered for analysis. Readability was measured by the Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES), Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG). Understandability and actionability were assessed by 2 independent reviewers with the PEMAT-P (Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool for Printable Materials). Unpaired t tests compared scores between sites aimed at physicians and those at patients, and a Cohen’s kappa was calculated to measure interrater reliability. Results Twenty-two websites (17 patient oriented, 5 physician oriented) met inclusion criteria. For the entire cohort, FRES, FKGL, and SMOG scores (mean ± SD) were 36.90 ± 20.65, 12.96 ± 3.28, and 15.65 ± 3.57, respectively, indicating that materials were difficult to read at a >12th-grade level. PEMAT-P understandability and actionability scores were 73.65% ± 7.05% and 13.63% ± 22.47%. Statistically, patient-oriented sites were more easily read than physician-oriented sites ( P < .02 for each of the FRES, FKGL, and SMOG comparisons); there were no differences in understandability or actionability scores between these categories of sites. Conclusion Online materials for vocal cord leukoplakia are written at a level more advanced than what is recommended for patient education materials. Awareness of the current ways that these online materials are failing our patients may lead to improved education materials in the future.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document