Level of reading difficulty in educational pamphlets and informed consent documents for cancer patients

Nationwide samplings and data from the 1980 census suggest that a high proportion of patients cared for are functionally illiterate. Since educational materials and consent forms are often given to patients with little regard for their ability to read them, this study was designed to analyze the readability of educational materials and consent forms at the Cancer Center of Southern West Virginia at Charleston Area Medical Center. Results of the survey showed that although the median education of the 127 patients studied was 10th grade, more than 30 percent could not be expected to read at the 10th grade level. Most tested patient education materials required a reading level of 11th to 14th grade, and cooperative group consent forms required a college-level reading comprehension. If patient-directed written material is to serve its purpose, then outpatient populations should be surveyed and the reading level of written material adjusted accordingly.