Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 9, 2026
E-Patient Counseling Trial E-PACO: Computer Based Education versus Nurse Counseling for Patients to Prepare for Colonoscopy
Published on: August 1, 2019
SUN-SHINE Sarcoma Systematic Environmental Scan: Evaluation of the Readability, Understandability, and Actionability
Chloé Maxwell-Smith1,2,3, Shantelle Smith1, Lauren Nicholson3
1Curtin School of Population Health, Curtin University, Perth, Australia.
Objective:
Sarcoma is a rare cancer with complex treatment phases, leaving people with sarcoma and their carers with unmet information and support needs. This review provides an evaluation of sarcoma websites internationally to inform the development of online resources for the SUN-SHINE sarcoma project, aimed at addressing the unmet needs of people with a sarcoma diagnosis.
Methods:
A review of sarcoma information websites was conducted via Google search, with the first 3 pages of results of 19 searches undergoing eligibility screening. Of 95 websites yielded by the initial screening, 40 were eligible for assessment using the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), Gunning-Fog Index (GFI), Coleman-Liau Index (CLI), and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) Index, and Flesch-Kincaid Reading Ease (FRE) for readability, and the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool (PEMAT) for understandability and actionability. Readability was assessed against the Australian recommendation of grade 8 reading level for health information and higher PEMAT scores indicated greater understandability and actionability.
Results:
The 40 websites reviewed were based in Europe (n = 13), Oceania (n = 12), North America (n = 10), and Asia (n = 4), with one multinational site. Websites generally contained pages on sarcoma definitions, diagnosis, and treatments, but lacked information on supportive and psychosocial care. Readability assessments exceeded (were less readable than) the general population reading level (M = 10.5; SD = 2.0). PEMAT scoring of websites revealed understandability averaging 70.7% (SD = 14.8), but lower actionability (M = 29.1%; SD = 26.4).
Conclusions:
Limited sarcoma supportive care information exists, with no caregiver-focused websites and little tailoring for specific populations. Websites contained some components to support their readability, such as sub-headings and summaries, but more inclusive and accessible websites are warranted.
Related Concept Videos
01:21Cancer Survival Analysis
01:27Nursing Ethical Principles II
Consider the following scenario, which illustrates how these principles are applied in the care of Mr. John, a fifty-year-old teacher diagnosed with metastatic liver cancer.
Initially, Mr. John's...
02:49Cancer Therapies
However, cancer treatments can pose several challenges, as therapies used to kill cancer cells are generally also toxic to normal cells. Moreover, cancer cells mutate rapidly and can develop resistance to chemical agents or radiation therapy. Besides, all types of cancer cells may not respond to the same therapy. Some cancer cells respond to one...
01:29Documentation in Long-Term and Home Healthcare Setting
Long-Term Care Facilities
01:13Patient-centered Care
02:56Treatment Resistant Cancers