The July 2001 issue of Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine confirms what many users of the Internet have know for sometime; that most patient education materials available through the World Wide Web are written at higher reading levels than the average reading levels. The average reading level in the U.S. is eight and ninth grade and the published article notes that many patient education materials are still written at the tenth grade or higher reading levels.
The article continues by noting that pediatricians should be aware of not only the material's accuracy, but also should be cognizant about the readability of the materials they distribute to ensure that accurate information can be comprehended.
Why is this study important? Studies have shown that literacy levels are approximately three to five grades below the highest grade of schooling completed and almost one quarter of the adult population in the US and Canada are functionally illiterate, which is why distributing accurate and comprehensible patient education materials is important.
Suggested Solutions
Pediatricians should be aware that the readability of the materials from the Internet they are distributing to parents is probably too complex. Pediatricians should try to write their own materials using non-complex language. Another suggestion is to post the readability level on all patient education materials for general guidance in material selection. The best way to include the readability level is to use the Flesch Reading Ease Score, the Fry Formula or the SMOG method.
Materials should be written using short sentences, active voice, large easy-to-read type and contain illustrations if appropriate. Another addition includes definitions and glossaries to help readers with new vocabulary. Jefferson users can access effective patient education handouts using MICROMEDEX CareNotes System, which are written at a fourth to sixth grade reading level or the health topics available using MD Consult.
The study was limited in scope. The authors only examined 100 web pages of the over 50 million pages of health-related information available on the web. Nevertheless, medical professionals should be wary of the patient education materials available on the web.
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