Health education for patients with ventricular tachycardia: assessment of readability

Patients are often given written materials that are above their reading skill level. When this occurs, it is unlikely that the patient will understand the information. Without an understanding of the written word, it is unrealistic to expect the patient to learn or comply. Health professionals can assist in the educational process if they have the tools to assess the readability of varied educational materials. This article describes a reading assessment tool and assists the health professional in using this tool to evaluate and revise educational materials.