Analyzing the Readability of Health Information Booklets on Cardiovascular Diseases

Area of Science:

• Health Literacy
• Medical Communication
• Cardiovascular Health

Background:

• Low patient health literacy is linked to poorer health outcomes and reduced therapy adherence.
• Health information booklets are crucial tools for enhancing patient understanding and engagement.
• Effective communication in the cardiovascular domain is essential for patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a computer-based readability analysis of patient information booklets in the cardiovascular domain.
• To compare the effectiveness of five established readability assessment instruments.
• To evaluate the feasibility of automated text processing for analyzing patient-facing health materials.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 34 English-language patient information booklets focused on heart disease, prevention, and procedures.
• Application of five distinct, well-validated readability assessment tools.
• Utilizing a computer-based tool-chain for automated text processing and analysis.

Main Results:

• Readability scores indicated that, on average, readers need a 9th-grade education (Flesch-Kincaid) to 11th-grade education (Gunning-Fog) to comprehend the booklets.
• The study confirmed the feasibility of an automated system for analyzing the readability of health information.
• Significant variation in readability levels was observed across the assessed booklets.

Conclusions:

• Patient information booklets in the cardiovascular field are often written at a reading level that may challenge a significant portion of the patient population.
• Readability metrics derived from different instruments should be interpreted with caution and not used interchangeably.
• Improving the readability of patient information is critical for enhancing health literacy and patient outcomes.