A Mixed-Methods Evaluation of Patient Education Materials for Colorectal Cancer

Area of Science:

• Health communication
• Patient education
• Colorectal cancer

Background:

• Professional organizations create patient education materials for colorectal cancer (CRC).
• The appropriateness and effectiveness of these materials for patients remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To comprehensively evaluate patient education materials for colorectal cancer.
• Assess readability, understandability, and actionability of CRC patient education resources.

Main Methods:

• Quantitative analysis using Flesch-Kincaid readability and Patient Education Material Assessment Tool (PEMAT).
• Qualitative evaluation through patient/caregiver focus groups (n=5) and surgeon interviews (n=10).
• Materials assessed from National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), National Cancer Institute (NCI), and American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS).

Main Results:

• Materials ranged from 7th to 11th grade reading level.
• NCCN materials scored highest in understandability (92.2%); PEMAT actionability varied significantly (NCCN 82.5%, NCI 23.3%, ASCRS 50.0%).
• Identified content gaps: patients desired more self-care and emotional support info; surgeons sought typical hospital course details; customization was a shared need.

Conclusions:

• Widely available printed colorectal cancer education materials are often written at a high reading level.
• These materials exhibit variable usability and omit critical postoperative recovery information.
• There is a need for improved, patient-centered, and customizable educational resources for colorectal cancer.