scholarly journals Evaluating the Readability of Veterinary Client Handouts from Vetlexicon, Veterinary Partner, and ClientEd

Author(s):  
Isabella Baxter ◽  
Ann Viera

Ready-to-use animal health information handouts are a valuable service that have the potential to enhance veterinarian-client relationships and animal healthcare. Evaluating the readability of handouts is integral to ensure the information needs of veterinary clients are met. In this study, we describe the significance of client handout readability and review readability studies in veterinary medicine. We then present our analysis of the readability of 150 client handouts from three services: Vetlexicon from Vetstream, Veterinary Partner from VIN, and ClientEd from Lifelearn. With a few exceptions, the handouts scored were found to be written at a 9th through 11th grade reading level, above the recommended 6th grade reading level for human medical handouts, limiting the value and potential for enhancing communication about pet health and supporting the veterinarian-client bond.

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 125
Author(s):  
Mira Fatmawati ◽  
Herawati Herawati

Abstrack Eid of Adha is commemorated every 10 Dzulhijah followed by slaughtering a cattle, sheep or goat. That slaughter moment needed a lot of veterinarian to control animal health and meat inspection. The limitedness of personnel, therefore the Agriculture Office of Batu city cooperated with Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Brawijaya University to supervise a slaughtering animals. The purpose of this research is to analys the prevalensi of fasciolosis on eid of adha in Batu City. Total number of slaughtering aninal in Batu City in 2017 were 679 cattle, 2357 goats and 2277 sheep. The research was conducted in 3 sub-districts in Batu City. Data were collected during postmortem examination in liver organ. The results showed that the total cases of heminthiasis in cattle were 22.97% (156 cases of fasciolosis from 679 cattle), cases of helminthiasis in goats 1.65% (39 cases of fascioloisis from 2357 goats), cases of helminthiasis in sheep 4.83% (80 cases of fasciolosis from 1658 sheep). Most cases of cattle fasciolosis occurred in Junrejo sub-district (31.54%), most cases of goats fasciolosis occurred in in Bumiaji sub-district (2.13%) and most cases of lambs fasciolosis occurred in Batu sub-district (7.19%). The slaughter animals come from Batu City, Malang Municipality and Blitar Municipality. From the data above, it is necessary to do the programs of giving worm medicine and animal health information especially for farmer. Cross-border coordination within the framework of an animal health healing program needs to be prepared to work together. Veterinary public health have responsibility to prepared a secure, healthy, a whole and halal meat in that slaughter moment. Kata kunci: Eid of Adha; Helminthiasis; Fasciolosis; Batu City;Food Safety Abstrak Idul Adha yang diperingati setiap tanggal 10 Dzulhijah diikuti dengan penyembelihan hewan kurban. Pemotongan yang serentak pada hari yang sama membutuhkan pengawasan kesehatan hewan dari dokter hewan berwenang dalam rangka memberikan jaminan keamanan pangan. Karena keterbatasan personel, maka Dinas Pertanian Kota Batu bekerjasama dengan Fakultas Kedokteran Hewan, Universitas Brawijaya dalam pengawasan pemotongan hewan kurban saat Idul Adha. Tujuan pengawasan tersebut antara lain untuk memantau penyakit hewan menular dan penyakit zoonotik. Pemotongan hewan kurban di Kota Batu tahun 2017 sebanyak 679 ekor sapi, 2357 kambing dan 2277domba. Tujuan dari analisis studi epidemiologi ini adalah untuk melihat berapa banyak kasus helmintiasis yang ditemukan pada hewan kurban yang ada di Kota Batu. Penelitian dilakukan dilakukan di 3 kecamatan di Kota Batu pada titik-titik pemotongan hewan dengan menggunakan data deskriptif dari kuisioner terstruktur. Data kasus fasciolosis diperoleh pada saat pemeriksaan postmortem pada organ hati. Hasil penelitian menunjukan bahwa total kasus fasciolosis pada sapi adalah  22,97% (156 kasus fasciolosis dari 679 ekor sapi), kasus fasciolosis pada kambing 1,65% (39 kasus fasciolosis dari 2357 ekor kambing), kasus fasciolosis pada domba 4,83% (80 kasus fasciolosis dari 1658 ekor domba). Kasus fasciolosis pada sapi terbanyak terjadi di Kecamatan Junrejo (31,54%), pada kambing yang terbanyak di Kecamatan Bumiaji (2,13%) dan pada domba yang terbanyak di Kecamatan Batu (7,19%). Hewan kurban berasal dari Kota Batu, Kabupaten Malang dan Kabupaten Blitar. Dari data diatas maka perlu dilakukan evaluasi mengenai program pemberian obat cacing dan pengasawan kesehatan hewan terutama untuk hewan kurban. Koordinasi lintas wilayah dalam rangka sinkronisasi program kesehatan hewan perlu dipersiapkan untuk dapat menyiapkan hewan kurban dan daging kurban yang aman, sehat, utuh, dan halal. Kata kunci: Idul Adha;Helmintiasis; Fasciolosis;Kota Batu;Keamanan Pangan


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia Moyinoluwa Ojo ◽  
Tolulope Omowonuola Okeowo ◽  
Ann Mary Thampy ◽  
Zubair Kabir

AbstractBackgroundThe U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (USDHHS) recommends that health material be written at or below a sixth-grade reading level to ensure readability. The aim of this study was to examine the readability of international and national health organizations on Covid-19 information in their websites employing a previously validated tool.MethodsA purposive sample of publicly accessible governmental and popular international health organization websites was selected. The readability of the websites’ Covid-19 public health information was estimated using the previously validated SMOG readability formula, which determined reading level by correlating the number of polysyllabic words.ResultsOf the 10 websites included in the analysis, none had Covid-19 public health information at the USDHHS’s recommended reading level. The material ranged in reading level at undergraduate level or above.DiscussionThe findings indicate that the online Covid-19 materials need to be modified in order to reach recommended reading levels. This study can be of practical use to policy makers and public health government officials when designing, modifying, and evaluating Covid-19 materials. We recommend using simple, non-polysyllable words to ensure that Covid-19 public health information materials are written at the recommended reading levels.


Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 1246
Author(s):  
Tsuyoshi Okuhara ◽  
Hiroko Okada ◽  
Eiko Goto ◽  
Takahiro Kiuchi

It is important to provide information on HPV vaccination and on early detection and early treatment for cervical cancer. Readability is a key aspect in the success of cancer communication using written health information. We reviewed studies assessing the readability of information on HPV vaccination and cervical cancer. We conducted a systematic literature search in June 2021 using four online databases (Medline, CINAHL, PsycArticles, and PsycINFO). Studies that assessed the readability level of online and offline information regarding HPV vaccination and cervical cancer were included in the review. Twelve articles were deemed fit for study inclusion. Our results showed that most of the materials assessed were difficult to read and higher than eighth-grade reading level. Few of the materials assessed were at the recommended grade 5–6 level or below. Readability assessments of HPV vaccination and cervical cancer information are scarce. Additional studies on the readability of information regarding HPV vaccination and cervical cancer are recommended. Health professionals should develop health information on HPV vaccination and cervical cancer that is easy to read.


2019 ◽  
Vol 54 (2) ◽  
pp. 111-117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin B. Scott ◽  
Anna Rose Johnson ◽  
Andres F. Doval ◽  
Bao N. Tran ◽  
Bernard T. Lee

Background: Patients commonly use online materials as a source of health information. Since poor health literacy has been shown to correlate with negative outcomes, it is recommended that patient-directed materials be written at a sixth-grade reading level. This study evaluates the readability and understandability of commonly accessed online materials pertaining to both endovascular and open repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm. Methods: Searches for “endovascular repair abdominal aortic aneurysm” and “open repair abdominal aortic aneurysm” were performed on both Google and Bing, and the top 10 websites from each search engine were identified. Relevant websites (total N = 28, endovascular n = 15, open n = 15, and 2 redundant sites) with patient-directed content were analyzed. Readability was assessed using 9 established methods, and understandability was assessed using the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool scoring system. Results: The average reading grade level for all sites was 12.8. Endovascular sites averaged a reading grade level of 13.6 with a range from 11.5 to 15.6. Open-repair websites had a grade-level average of 12.1 with a range from 9.9 to 14.1. Readability was found to be inversely related to understandability, with a Pearson correlation coefficient of −0.551 ( P = .003). No website was written at or below the recommended sixth-grade reading level. Conclusions: Patient-directed online health information pertaining to open and endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm exceeds the recommended sixth-grade reading level. Increasing complexity of health literature correlates with poor understandability. Modifications such as shorter sentences, fewer words with more than 6 letters, and increasing usage of clear visual aids can increase readability and understandability.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Cassady ◽  
William Ben Mortenson ◽  
Andrea F Townson ◽  
Shannon Sproule ◽  
Janice Jennifer Eng

BACKGROUND Access to quality health information is essential for self-management after serious injuries such as spinal cord injury (SCI). OBJECTIVE The goal of this study was to evaluate the role of a consumer website in addressing the information needs of persons and families with SCI, as well as its impact on their knowledge and behaviour. METHODS Persons with SCI and family members were recruited from 3 settings: an acute hospital, a rehabilitation hospital, and an SCI community organization to acquire perspectives from early after injury to the chronic stage. Participants were introduced to the Spinal Cord Injury Research Evidence (SCIRE) Community website, which was an internet site developed to provide evidence-informed health information about SCI in everyday language. After using the SCIRE Community website for 4 weeks, semi-structured individual interviews were conducted to explore purposes of use, user experience, and impact on knowledge and behaviour. Interview transcripts were analyzed using qualitative thematic analysis. RESULTS The participants were 24 individuals (18 persons with SCI and 6 family members). Thirteen participants completed the study in a hospital setting and 11 participants in a community setting. We identified 3 main themes in the data: (1) ‘An internet tool to support and empower persons and families’ described the empowering nature of access to an independent information source which enabled persons and families with SCI to take a more active role in their care; (2) ‘an accessible source of credible information’ described how users valued easy to access content with oversight by experts (i.e., perceived to be trustworthy); and (3) ‘Opportunities to increase impact’ outlined suggestions on creating opportunities to engage with content through active learning strategies and community connections. CONCLUSIONS Persons and families with SCI valued having access to an independent online health information website, especially early after injury, as it helped to empower autonomy and facilitated better communication between persons and families and healthcare providers. Our study provides support for the value of internet-based health information as a supplementary tool for therapeutic education for persons and families with serious health conditions such as SCI.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 60-60
Author(s):  
Michelle Kimzey ◽  
Ramona Baucham ◽  
Chelsea Martin ◽  
Carol Howe

Abstract There are unique challenges and considerations when receiving the diagnosis of dementia. There are interventions, services, and supports for people with dementia and their care partners, yet they are often unknown, disconnected, and may not be widely available or easily accessible. Health literacy was defined as the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions. Using a descriptive qualitative design, the purpose of this study was to describe how persons living with dementia and their care partners obtain, understand, and use information to make health decisions to live well with dementia. The convenience sample consisted of 28 care partners and 15 people living with dementia participating in 6 separate focus groups. To illuminate findings, data was analyzed using a hybrid approach (deductive followed by inductive). Four themes emerged deductively as persons gain health literacy in dementia (access, understand, appraise, and understand). The notable finding is the trend at diagnosis where they first are “seeking the expert” ,and as they move from dependence and gain understanding they are “becoming the expert”, and finally as they apply information they are “acting as the expert” for themselves and others. Engaging them in research not only gave them a voice but more importantly it influenced the health information that will be developed and implemented by them. These findings suggest there is a wealth of knowledge to be gained by persons living with dementia and their care partners.


Author(s):  
Andrea Springer ◽  
Antje Glass ◽  
Julia Probst ◽  
Christina Strube

AbstractAround the world, human health and animal health are closely linked in terms of the One Health concept by ticks acting as vectors for zoonotic pathogens. Animals do not only maintain tick cycles but can either be clinically affected by the same tick-borne pathogens as humans and/or play a role as reservoirs or sentinel pathogen hosts. However, the relevance of different tick-borne diseases (TBDs) may vary in human vs. veterinary medicine, which is consequently reflected by the availability of human vs. veterinary diagnostic tests. Yet, as TBDs gain importance in both fields and rare zoonotic pathogens, such as Babesia spp., are increasingly identified as causes of human disease, a One Health approach regarding development of new diagnostic tools may lead to synergistic benefits. This review gives an overview on zoonotic protozoan, bacterial and viral tick-borne pathogens worldwide, discusses commonly used diagnostic techniques for TBDs, and compares commercial availability of diagnostic tests for humans vs. domestic animals, using Germany as an example, with the aim of highlighting existing gaps and opportunities for collaboration in a One Health framework.


2021 ◽  
pp. 096100062098161
Author(s):  
Benedicta Boadi ◽  
George Tesilimi Banji ◽  
Patrick Adzobu ◽  
Stephen Okyere

Health information literacy plays a critical role in self-management practices among patients living with chronic health conditions. However, there are limited studies on information needs among breast cancer patients in Ghana. This paper therefore investigated the information needs of women living with breast cancer in Ghana and how educational status influenced their information needs. The study was conducted in two health facilities in Accra, Ghana (37 Military Hospital and Sweden Ghana Medical Centre). A total of 75 breast cancer patients were conveniently selected from the two health facilities for the study. The instrument used to elicit relevant data for this study was a questionnaire using the survey design. Data was analysed descriptively. The findings of the study revealed that the information needs of the breast cancer patients investigated were centred mainly around treatment and management information and less around preventive information. The patients also ranked diagnostic information as their highest need, followed by physical care information, treatment information, psychosocial information and disease-specific information in that order. Patients with higher education reported higher information need on all the five domains compared to those with lower education. The study therefore recommended that management of health facilities make health information literacy an integral component of their treatment and management of breast cancer.


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