The digital divide in Internet-based patient education materials.

Area of Science:

• Health Communication
• Patient Education
• Otolaryngology

Background:

• The internet provides vast health information, empowering patients but raising concerns about misinformation.
• The patient-physician relationship is evolving due to increased patient access to online health data.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the readability of Internet-based patient education materials (IPEMs) on otolaryngology websites.
• To highlight the discrepancy between current IPEM readability and recommended levels.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of IPEMs from professional otolaryngology websites.
• Evaluation of reading comprehension levels using established metrics.

Main Results:

• IPEMs on otolaryngology websites are written at an 8th- to 18th-grade reading level.
• Readability levels have remained largely unchanged over the past three years.
• These levels significantly exceed the recommended fourth- to sixth-grade reading level.

Conclusions:

• Current otolaryngology IPEMs are not accessible to a broad patient audience.
• Improving IPEM readability is crucial for effective patient education and mitigating misinformation.
• Strategies and challenges for enhancing IPEM readability require further consideration.