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RTAnswers Online Patient Education Materials Deviate From Recommended Reading Levels
Stephen A Rosenberg1, Ryan A Denu2, David Francis1
1Department of Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
Applied Radiation Oncology
|June 25, 2021
Summary
Online patient information on radiation oncology is too difficult for patients to understand. Readability assessments show content is written at a high school reading level, not the recommended sixth-grade level, hindering patient comprehension and adherence.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Health Communication
- Medical Education
Background:
- Patients increasingly seek cancer information online.
- Accessible online patient information is crucial for oncology organizations.
- Readability of online patient information (OPI) impacts patient understanding and outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the readability of radiation oncology OPI on RTAnswers.org.
- To determine if OPI meets the recommended sixth-grade reading level by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and American Medical Association (AMA).
Main Methods:
- Analyzed 13 online patient-oriented brochures from RTAnswers.org.
- Assessed readability using 10 standardized readability tests.
- Calculated a composite grade level from 8 readability measures.
Main Results:
- The composite readability grade level was 11.6 (senior in high school).
- This is significantly higher than the recommended sixth-grade level (p < 0.05).
- Readability measures were highly correlated (SI alpha = 0.98).
Conclusions:
- Patient educational material on RTAnswers.org is written above the target reading level.
- Simplifying content could enhance patient understanding of radiation therapy.
- Improved comprehension may lead to better treatment adherence and outcomes.
Keywords:
health literacyonline patient informationpatient-centered careradiation oncologyreadabilityMore Related Videos
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