A comparative analysis of online education resources for patients undergoing endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery

Endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery has become the most commonly performed surgical procedure for pituitary tumor removal. As such, there are many patient-oriented educational materials on the technique available online for members of the public who desire to learn more about the surgery. It has been recommended that educational resources be written to the national average reading level, which in the United States is between sixth and seventh grade. This study assesses the reading level of the educational materials currently available online for endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery and determines whether these resources are written at a suitable comprehension level for most readers.

Sixteen patient educational resources describing endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery were identified online and assessed using 4 standard readability assessments.

Patient educational resources written for endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery are written far above the recommended reading level of sixth grade.

The online educational resources written for patients about endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery are above the recommended reading level for patient education materials. Further revisions to simplify these resources on endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery are needed to ensure that most patients can comprehend this important material and make informed decisions about their health care.