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Internet-derived patient information on common oral pathologies: is it readable?
1Department of Dental Health and Biological Sciences, Dental School, University of Wales College of Medicine, Cardiff, UK. chestnuttig@cardiff.ac.uk
Summary
Patient information websites on dental health often exceed the average UK reading age. This highlights the need for dental professionals to support patients in understanding online health resources.
Area of Science:
- Oral Health
- Health Informatics
- Patient Education
Background:
- The internet provides extensive health information, necessitating clear and understandable patient-facing content.
- Assessing the readability of online health resources is crucial for effective patient comprehension.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the readability of internet sites providing patient information on dental caries, periodontal disease, oral cancer, and mouth ulcers.
- To determine if online dental health information is accessible to the general patient population.
Main Methods:
- Conducted four internet searches for patient information on specific oral pathologies in May 2003.
- Analyzed the first 25 relevant sites from each search (100 total) using Flesch reading score and Flesch-Kinkaid reading level.
Main Results:
- Readability scores varied significantly, corresponding to reading ages from 7 years to university level.
- The average reading age for evaluated sites was 10-11 years, exceeding the UK population's estimated reading age of 9 years.
- Readability levels were consistent across different oral pathologies.
Conclusions:
- Dental practitioners should anticipate the need to assist patients in interpreting online health information.
- Dental practices should ensure their websites provide educational material suitable for their target audience's reading level.