Readability, content, and quality of online patient education materials on preeclampsia

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the readability, content, and quality of patient education materials addressing preeclampsia. Methods: Websites of U.S. obstetrics and gynecology residency programs were searched for patient education materials. Readability, content, and quality were assessed. A one-sample t-test was used to evaluate mean readability level compared with the recommended 6th grade reading level. Results: Mean readability levels were higher using all indices (p < 0.001). Content was variable with good website understandability, but poor actionability. Conclusions: The mean readability was above the recommended 6th grade reading level. The content, readability, and actionability of preeclampsia patient education materials should be improved.

• Preeclampsia
• readability
• patient education materials
• Internet.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

This paper was presented at the 47th annual meeting, Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology, Colorado Springs, CO, USA, 13–17 May 2015.

DECLARATION OF INTEREST

Paloma Toledo, M.D., M.P.H. was supported by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Harold Amos Medical Faculty Development program (award 69779). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The authors report no conflict of interest.

Notes

¹Digital differences. Available at: http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2012/Digital-differences/Main-Report/Internet-adoption-over-time.aspx. Accessed April 1, 2015.

²Health literacy online: A guide to writing and designing easy-to-use health Web sites. Available at: http://www.health.gov/healthliteracyonline. Accessed April 1, 2015.

³Toolkit for Making Written Material Clear and Effective. Available at: http://www.cms.gov/Outreach-and-Education/Outreach/WrittenMaterialsToolkit/Downloads/ToolkitPart01.pdf. Accessed April 1, 2015.

⁴How to Write Easy-to-Read Health Materials. Available at: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/etr.html. Accessed April 1, 2015.

⁵FKGL score formula: (0.39 x average number of words per sentence) + (11.8 x average number of syllables per word) – 15.59

⁶Gunning FOG formula: 0.4 x (average number of words per sentence + 100 [number of polysyllabic words/total number of words]).

⁷SMOG score formula: 3.1291 + 1.043 x square root (total number of polysyllabic words x [30/total number of sentences])

⁸Information Triage. Available at: http://www.pewinternet.org/2013/01/15/information-triage/. Accessed April 1, 2015.